@Ar***

DTV is officially a type of tourist visa. So is Elite though. It may be possible to get an account open without using an agent, people suggest using an agent as it may be the easier option and they value their time more than what an agent charges. One of the official options for opening an account is a reference from an existing customer known to the bank and it's possible this is what an agent is providing for a fee, may let you sidestep some of the other requirements.

If you want to DIY try to find information on a specific branch that has opened an account for DTV holder and what they required. Typically here in Chiang Mai Bangkok Bank at least wants a residence cert from immigration which you can get by bringing a lease to immigration. Still have to pay an agent for this (~1,000B) if you want it next day, no agent service it is free or a nominal charge but takes 3 weeks.

There's also the matter of banks wanting you to take out insurance to get an account open. It may be worth it just to pay an agent a few thousand rather than pay for the residence cert, pay for the insurance, etc.

I generally try to avoid using agents if at all possible and I originally opened my bank account, almost a decade ago on a tourist entry, without one. But with the way things have changed I do think this is a scenario it might make sense to use one, if they can just get the whole thing done for possibly not much more than you'd spend anyway and much less time.

@Eli *********

Wise isn't ideal for this, they charge ~1.75-2% on ATM withdrawals, plus you have the 220B Thai-side fee but the home bank fee is the larger component. This fee is lower than the average bank but if OP is American which he seems to be there are better options such as Schwab which is zero fee and they even refund the Thai ATM fee. Americans can't get the Wise card anyway.

@Gr**

that's the norm in my experience as well, follow ups are made after each subsequent visit, even if you're going to be going back to them for years. They don't necessarily know you front how exactly your condition is going to evolve or what's going to be necessary.

@Pa**

it's HK$150,000. Most consulates round up the money requirement in their local currency.

I suspect it's more down to the office than the visa and an office that will do 5 year for DTV will also do it for Elite, they are the same class of visa. Plenty of Elite people do get 5 year licenses, some they will only do 2 year as it's a tourist class visa but it's down to the office.

@Ne**

There is no reference to an exemption in the Royal Gazette posting for the DTV. The only reference is to the Immigration Act BE 2522, there is no reference to the Labour Protection Act or the Foreigners Working Decree.

.pdf

Indeed, Section 7 says "Aliens and their legal spouses who have been granted a special tourist visa (Destination Thailand Visa: DTV) and wish to work in the Kingdom, upon receiving permission to stay in the Kingdom, must apply and change the visa type to a temporary resident for work first, and then apply for a work permit in accordance with the law on the management of alien employment." (Google Translate)

So this is EXPLICITLY saying that what people are going to be doing on the DTV is not "work in the Kingdom", and that if they actually want to do this they have to change visa to one allowing work and also get a work permit.

I understand you can read the labour laws and come to the conclusion that it covers remote work because it doesn't explicitly say it doesn't. Every indication though is the Thai government does not interpret it that way as they DIDN'T see the need for an exemption.

Unless there's an exemption somewhere else that I'm missing, but my reading of the DTV it seems pretty clear they are saying remote work is NOT "work in the Kingdom" covered by those laws.

@Ni***

right, but people say working on retirement visa isn't allowed because it's stamped "employment prohibited" and you can't get a work permit. So what's the difference with the DTV?

@Ne**

@An**

right, but it's exactly the same on the retirement visa. People say you can't work on retirement because it says "employment prohibited" and you can't get a work permit. But this is EXACTLY the same as on the DTV.

They have already explicitly stated that a work permit cannot be obtained for remote work, and is not necessary.

I get the DTV was specifically for remote work, but it seems on the framework remote work may never have been prohibited, just work in Thailand.

What do you have that remote working is explicitly illegal on a retirement visa, other than these two things which are the same for the DTV? I totally accept it's less of grey area with the DTV as that's the point of the visa, but I'm beginning to suspect that "work" and "employment" as understood in Thailand do not cover remote work.

@Ne**

DTV is "employment prohibited" and no work permit, just like retirement visa.

@An**

MFA have stated it's fine and expected to leave and come right back with no minimum time out, that this is an accepted use of the visa. Elite is also technically a tourist visa but it's promoted as residency and some people live here for decades on it.