Hey

@L**

, great question, you’re on the right track thinking ahead! 😊 For the retirement visa, the general rule is that you need to have at least 400K Baht in your bank account (or Assurance Secure) at the time of your visa extension. So, if your extension is in May 2025, you’ll need to make sure you have 400K Baht in the account at that time. Even if you’re depositing 65K Baht each month from April 2025 to May 2026, it doesn’t count as the required balance for the extension in May 2025 unless that amount is already in your account by that time. In other words, you can keep depositing the 65K Baht per month, but you’ll still need to ensure the 400K Baht minimum is in your account in May 2025 for your extension. Hope that clears it up! If you’re ever unsure, it’s always a good idea to check with immigration directly, as rules can sometimes change. 😊 Good luck with your extension process! PruLadda

Hey

@Aa***

, not a silly question at all, it’s actually something a lot of people wonder about! The Thai Language Visa sounds great at first, especially since you get to learn the language and stay in Thailand legally. But in practice, it has a few downsides:

👉 A lot of the schools offering these visas are more focused on being "visa providers" than actual language education, so it can lead to more immigration checks.

👉 You need to do regular visa extensions and sometimes even interviews with immigration.

👉 Also, there's the expectation that you’ll actually learn the language, sometimes even small language tests after a certain period.

For people who are serious about learning Thai, it can be awesome. But for others, a DTV or retirement visa is often less hassle. Hope that helps clear things up! 😊 Cheers from Thailand! 🇹🇭🌴

Hey Aiden! 👋 Sounds like you're well on your way, exciting times! 🙌 From my experience (and what others in my community have shared), an engagement letter + a few months’ worth of invoices should usually be fine as proof of freelancer status for the DTV visa. Just make sure:

The engagement letter is signed and clearly states your role, duration of service, and payment terms.

The invoices show regularity and match the scope of work mentioned in the engagement letter.

Bonus points if you can include payment confirmations (like bank statements or PayPal screenshots) to back it up.

Also worth checking if your embassy or consulate has any specific preferences, they sometimes vary a bit. Best of luck with your application, you've got this! 🚀 Cheers from Udonthani 🌏 PruLadda