Haha, "workcation paradise," but you have to lie to the immigration officer about the purpose of the stay and do inconvenient border runs every few months.
Huh. Maybe this has become standard procedure because so many DTV-ers come in on the flights from Vietnam. When I flew in from Taiwan, I didn't get asked any questions and the female IO certainly didn't seem confused about what the DTV was. I was probably the only DTV holder on the flight though.
Anonymous participant correction: I read that post again and the poster did not answer when asked for the source of the screengrab. So sorry, spoke too soon, we're still waiting for clarification on this requirement.
There's conflicting information about this. On the one hand, in-country extensions require a 500K THB bank balance. But advice from what I'd call official sources suggest otherwise. The Chiang Mai airport is requesting that new entries on the DTV prove only 20K THB balance. Also, someone recently posted a notice from one of the SEA embassies that there's no requirement to keep the 500K in your account after your application's approved.
If you are a salaried worker, things might be relatively smooth. However, don't apply if you've been working remotely for less than 6 months. However, if you are a sole proprietor, make sure to provide thorough documentation (tax receipts, invoices, portfolio, etc.), but by the same token, don't apply if you have less than six months' work history. If you are doing soft power, make sure you have additional consistent income (passive or earned) or a few multiples of the minimum funds banked. Note: this applies to Americans.
Maybe some schools which help you manage your visa application process would provide refunds, but It would make sense that they don't. How do they know anything about your immigration history or financials and your chances for acceptance?
I wonder if interviews are more popular at the Asian consulates because the applicants there are more likely to have been living in Thailand on ed visas or visa-free entries.