I advised one of our volunteers against applying for a DTV evisa because of the no-refund rule. The UK consulate denied his application for a non-O visa because of a new stipulation (for an official document that isn't commonly available) and refused to refund the application fee. *

The applicant was going to reapply for a DTV, but there was the risk that it would also be denied over some minor quibble, and then he'd have been out of pocket for £300 (well over the stipulated ฿10,000).

At least if you apply at a consulate in a neighboring country, they only take your fee if all the documents are in order.

* Update: for some reason, at the very last minute, they did issue the volunteer visa, after all - go figure!

Be aware that most official websites in Thailand are very basic. To be fair, I have similar issues with tech companies' websites where you'd expect they'd have the money and know-how to design & build robust interfaces...

A rule of thumb is to open the browser in private or incognito mode (empty cache and cookies) - it sometimes helps to restart the computer because some browsers keep the private data even if you close the window 😮

And to try a variety of browsers because most "official" (i.e. government, bank, insurance or online shop) developers in Thailand implement the website on their favorite browser and seldom (if ever) bother to make allowances for different browser standards or run tests on different browsers and platforms.

Sometimes the app browsers (Chrome on Android and Safari/Chrome on IOS) are also good contenders for these amateurish websites.

You're not going to change anything by whinging. You have to come up with a workaround solution for each case. Once you are successful with a particular website, keep a note of which browser & platform/device you used, for the next time!

:)

@Rene *****

Yes, that's why I'm looking for anecdotal information. I've recently found one person who applied for a DTV to learn Thai at language school, and it was granted by the Thai consulate in London. Go figure!

Our foundation is offering "soft power" courses and seminars, but we're not sure if they meet the DTV criteria. We will be testing this over the next few months (we advised our applicants not to apply for an evisa because the much higher fee, around ฿15K not ฿10K, is NOT refundable if not eligible). At least in Laos or Vietnam, the consulate will not take your fee until after all the documents have been checked and found to be in order).

DM me if you're interested in joining us from around Oct/Nov onwards. We require a commitment of about one day per week to attend or run a course or workshop. And we provide the opportunity to use our facilities for your freelancing.

Also note: we're based in Chiang Mai. You need to be too (but not necessarily all year round).

Anonymous participant I have the same question. Also who can sponsor whom?

@Stuart ********

We're a legitimate bone fide foundation, with volunteers on non-O visas and work permits. We have a new volunteer joining us long-term; and have hit against what seems to be a stricter policy of verification.

So any ideas of a workaround for the first step of obtaining the initial non-O would be very welcome. We are already familiar with the process of extending the visa when the time comes.

There are ways to legally and safely own your own property. As a professional consultant, I can walk you through the process and discuss the various options and ramifications. Please contact me privately.

@Mauro *******************

Haha, you're so funny, dripping with irony...

😂

Thailand's rules are a bit odd but fairly clear and straight forward. Just try to get into the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, China, Taiwan and live there long term if you're an immigrant.

I do find it a bit odd, though, that marriage doesn't grant one citizenship, as with many other Western countries. But no doubt it was abused at one point, when a guy would pop over and marry the first girl he saw at the bar and then dump her as soon as he got his green papers...

:o

It's quite a hassle to get it at immigration beforehand; but you can buy it at the airport just before you get stamped out the country. Allow some extra time for this in case there's a long queue. Don't leave home without it!

Yeah this seems about right. Definitely start with a 60-day visa in NZ, just in case she wants to stay a bit longer (you can then extend another 30 days). Getting a tourist visa in Seoul might be quite fiddly or inconvenient.- depending on her itinerary. If she can do it then great, otherwise the 30-day visa exemption (with a 30-day extension) will do the trick.

-Embassy-Map.html