Anonymous participant It doesn't sound clear to me. They should clarify the minimum period if there is one. As it stands, the official application page just states 500K baht, and you'd only find out that they have a minimum waiting period only after you submit your docs. I did some searching, and it does appear to be true that you need to have the 500K equivalent for a continuous three-month period. However, they ask for the ENDING balance, so it might not matter if the balance dips below in one month. BTW, for five people, the balance required is USD, correct? This is assuming USD minimum per person, so you'd only meet the minimum in December

Can you tell us what their answer was, so we can try to make sense of it? The last I heard, U.S. consulates only require funds to be present the day of application.

Anonymous participant well, i guess they were looking out for you. you should thank them.

Happy Thailand Yes, they're just raising the financial bar a little, and cracking down on visa runners will eliminate those who are essentially living in Thailand who can't come up with money for a course and application fee, who aren't contributing much anyway. If you don't do remote work, then the soft power route comes with a nominal fee for a sports course or medical treatment. This visa probably came as a surprise boon for local gyms last year.

First of all, great weather this week in BKK. So, if we can rely on this account, the IOs don't have an immediate way of verifying the category of DTV application we're in.

Is your girlfriend applying with SP, or does she have an income to justify having $20,000? If she's applying with SP, i don't see that working. You are suggesting that she typically has something like $5000 in savings, and that's why she'd need that amount? I dont think that would work, even though I got approved for a DTV in Taiwan and transferred a few thousand in to make up the difference just a few days before my applicaiton.

@Kevin *****

There are a few embassies that don't require this, Taipei being one of them, last time I checked. It's been a while since they switched to the e-visa system, but when they were doing walk-ins, they weren't enforcing a minimum number of months. It's been called a difficult embassy, but I think they just prefer a certain type of applicant.

@Jef *******

Has it been confirmed that DTV holders who had to replace their passports due to lost/stolen passports have been denied entry on DTV? I've also heard that your visa status will be identifiable with your fingerprint. Maybe this person should try entering on the DTV or see if they make him come in visa-exempt.

@Kazuman ********

The LTR visa has a higher application fee but passive income is eligible past a certain threshold. If you still want the DTV, you may very well qualify with a SP activity or your job if it's remote. I'm not very informed about the LTR visa, so you'd have to do your own research.

@Kazuman ********

Is this real estate rental business passive income, or do you earn employment income from this? I think the second one is the one eligible for the DTV.