@Swami *******

I verbally told the embassy where I was granted my DTV that I would be working remotely. I applied for the medical soft power in Taipei. Maybe there is a rule against working while holding the SP visa, but the Taipei embassy workers were not aware of it.

I flew in from KL to Bangkok a couple weeks ago. Would like to share my arrival experience in case it is helpful. When the crowd got to immigration, a female IO came in front of the booth and yelled at some people who looked South Asian to stand in an orderly fashion. Maybe this was their first time standing in a line, but of course being South Asian isn't relevant here. Then I saw another female IO demand that a Malay tourist show his return flight, which he didn't seem to have. Another female IO very efficiently stamped me, also female, in on my DTV fairly fast. However, I haven't spent more than a few months in Thailand this year. Thought I'd share.

@Andrew ********

Not a very experienced traveler, perhaps fewer resources in his native language about immigration policies, and overtrusting of what he perceived to be an authority figure.

I know someone who thought he had received work authorization in Thailand for a by paying a fee to one of those so-called visa companies. He then found out he had overstayed by a few months when exiting Thailand. I'm not sure if he received a temporary ban from Thailand, but maybe the IO was lenient because he was legitimately confused.

@Pete ******

Maybe you didn't see his/her last post and the number of people who are offended that this person is getting treatment in Thailand, instead of rainy England.

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.