DTV Visa Thailand | Apply Destination Thailand Visa with Experts

Every applicant must show proof of funds in the form of a bank deposit of no less than 500,000 THB (or the equivalent in another currency) on the date of application, to demonstrate that they have sufficient means for a long-term stay in Thailand.

One advantage of the DTV is that most embassies check your current ending balance, which must be no less than 500,000 THB on your latest statement. However, some embassies may ask to see 3 months of history for transparency, so having the funds in place a little in advance is the safest approach.

You can use a professional portfolio showing your past work, freelance project contracts, or evidence of past payments received from overseas clients to prove your remote-working status.

It is an entitlement for people who intend to learn about or take part in Thai cultural activities over the long term, such as Muay Thai training, Thai culinary classes, short courses/seminars, and art and music performances. It also covers people coming to Thailand for medical treatment.

You need an 'official letter of acceptance' from a properly registered institution, Muay Thai camp, cooking school or hospital in Thailand. The letter must clearly state the applicant's name, course details and duration, and must be accompanied by that organisation's business licence.

It is quite difficult, and the chances of approval are very low. Although the rules are broad, embassies usually assess whether the timeframe is reasonable. For a very short course, the embassy will recommend a tourist visa instead. A Soft Power course that passes smoothly for a DTV application should be a long-term course with a clear, continuous study schedule (e.g. a course of 3-6 months or more).

Yes. The minimum deposit of 500,000 THB is a mandatory requirement for all DTV applicants 'in every case', whether you apply as a digital nomad or under the Soft Power category.

Absolutely! The DTV rules allow immediate family members to apply for a DTV Dependent Visa so they can live in Thailand with you for the entire validity of the main holder's visa.

It is limited to a spouse (with a legally registered marriage) and children under 20 years of age (who are unmarried) only. Parents or other close relatives cannot use this type of dependant entitlement.

No, there is no need to open a separate account. Dependants can use the main DTV holder's proof of funds (the 500,000 THB statement) as part of their application, together with evidence of the relationship such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate.

Yes. Children holding a DTV Dependent Visa can study at schools and educational institutions in Thailand as normal, without the hassle of changing their visa type to an Education Visa (Non-ED).

The dependant's right of stay is always tied to, and expires on the same date as, the main holder's entitlement. Dependants receive 180 days of stay per entry and can apply for a further 180-day extension in Thailand, in exactly the same way as the main holder.

In principle, you must apply from abroad. The DTV is designed to be applied for through the Thai E-Visa (online) system of a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General abroad before you travel to Thailand. However, if you are already in Thailand and want to switch, we recommend consulting ETHAIVISA so we can plan for you to apply at a Thai embassy in a neighbouring country (such as Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia), which is the quickest and safest option.

You must apply to the Thai embassy in the country where you are actually residing at the time, and upload proof of location such as a foreign driving licence, a rental agreement, or water or electricity bills from that country to verify your identity in the online system.

No. Embassies have a policy of not refunding the 10,000 THB visa fee under any circumstances if the application is rejected. Before you submit and pay in the system, you should therefore send your documents to the ETHAIVISA team so we can check them for accuracy in advance.

Not at all! The DTV is already a multiple-entry visa in itself. You can fly in and out of Thailand as many times as you like throughout its 5-year validity, without spending money or time on a Re-entry Permit at the airport.

No, not if you leave the country before your 180 days are up. The 90-Day Reporting obligation only applies to people who stay in Thailand continuously for more than 90 days without leaving. Since the DTV requires you to leave or extend every 180 days, you only need to do 90-Day Reporting under immigration law if you stay in Thailand long enough to reach day 90 (for example, when you have applied for the further 180-day extension).

If you are a digital nomad receiving 100% of your salary from an overseas company and have no income derived from sources in Thailand, you generally do not have to pay personal income tax in Thailand. (However, you should also review the tax rules that apply to people who stay in Thailand for more than 180 days in a tax year.)

First obtain a new passport from your own embassy. Then take the old passport bearing the DTV stamp together with the new one to the immigration office in Thailand to request a transfer of the visa stamp. Your 5-year entitlement will then be transferred to the new passport and continue without interruption.

Although the DTV may look easy, the rejection rate at Thai embassies worldwide is very high, because embassies strictly check for fake Soft Power course bookings and unreliable foreign company documents. If your application fails, you not only lose the 10,000 THB fee but also leave a negative record in the online system. The ETHAIVISA team has specialists who check the system, verify the credibility of employment contracts and coordinate with accredited Soft Power courses, so that we can prepare a document package that is approved smoothly the first time, allowing you and your family to move to Thailand and enjoy life here without any worries.

It is a new type of 5-year, multiple-entry long-term visa that the Thai government designed to attract foreign remote workers, freelancers and digital nomads, allowing them to stay in Thailand and enjoy a 'workcation' legally and for an extended period.

They are very different. The Non-B is issued to people who will work for and receive a salary from a 'legal entity in Thailand'; it requires a Work Permit and a 4:1 ratio of Thai employees. The DTV, on the other hand, is issued to people who work for a 'company abroad' or receive income from outside Thailand. No Work Permit is required, and there is no obligation regarding Thai employees.

The standard Ministry of Foreign Affairs fee is 10,000 THB (or the equivalent in the local currency of the country where you apply). A single payment gets you a visa covering a full 5 years, which is excellent value.

You will be permitted to stay in Thailand for a maximum of 180 days per entry.

Yes. You can apply for a temporary extension of stay at the Immigration Bureau in Thailand for another 180 days (immigration fee: 1,900 THB). This means you can stay in Thailand for up to a full year (360 days) without having to leave the country at all.

After a full year, you simply leave the country (a border run) and fly back in. Immigration at the airport checkpoint will immediately stamp a new 180-day permission to stay. You can repeat this cycle for as long as your 5-year visa remains valid.

Applicants must attach a bank statement showing a balance of no less than 500,000 THB (or the equivalent in another currency) to prove their financial readiness.

One advantage of the DTV is that most embassies check the current ending balance on your latest statement to ensure it meets the minimum. You are not required to keep the money untouched for several months. That said, keeping the funds in your account for a while will make your financial history look more credible and make approval easier.

No. Thai embassies require a current, savings or fixed deposit account from which the money can be withdrawn as cash immediately. Risk assets and credit limits are not counted.

Under current regulations, there is no requirement to keep this sum in your account for the full 5 years. You can withdraw it for living or travel expenses as normal. However, when you apply for a 180-day extension at the immigration office in Thailand, the officer may ask to see your statement again to check your liquidity.

You need an 'Employment Letter' from your employer abroad. The letter must clearly state that the company permits you to work remotely (Remote Work / Work from Anywhere) from Thailand, and it should be accompanied by your payslips.

Freelancers can apply using freelance contracts or project agreements with overseas clients, together with a professional portfolio showing their background and past work, plus proof of payments received, to confirm that they genuinely have work and a steady income.

Yes. You can use the certificate of incorporation of your overseas company showing you as a director or shareholder, together with the company's bank statement, to confirm that you will be managing the business remotely from Thailand.

No. The DTV must be applied for through the Thai E-Visa (online) system of a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General abroad, and only 'before' you travel to Thailand.

The most popular and safest solution is to travel to a neighbouring country (such as Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia) and apply for the DTV online through the Thai embassy in that country. The ETHAIVISA team can help you plan, prepare your document set and book your slot in the system in advance.

With the current Thai E-Visa system, almost every embassy is now 100% online, so you do not need to send your physical passport. Once the visa is approved, the system will email you the DTV E-Visa file. Simply print it out and present it together with your passport at Thai immigration on arrival.

It depends on how busy each embassy is. On average it takes around 5 - 15 working days from the date all documents have been uploaded. We recommend applying at least 1 month before your planned travel date.

Not at all! The DTV is already a multiple-entry visa in itself. You can fly in and out of the country as many times as you like throughout its full 5-year validity, and your 180-day entitlement restarts every time you pass through Thai immigration.

No, not if you leave the country before 90 days have passed. However, if you apply for the further 180-day extension at immigration and remain in Thailand continuously until day 90, you will then be required to do 90-Day Reporting under normal immigration law.

If 100% of your income comes from abroad (you do not work for a company in Thailand and have no clients in Thailand) and you do not bring that money into Thailand in the same tax year, you are generally exempt from Thai personal income tax.

It is a serious offence under both labour and immigration law. Both the foreign national and the Thai employer will be fined, the 5-year DTV will be revoked immediately, and you risk being blacklisted and banned from entering the country.

First obtain a new passport from your country's embassy in Thailand. Then take both the old and new passports to the immigration office to request a transfer of the visa stamp. Your DTV entitlement will then be transferred to the new passport and can be used as normal.

It is usually because the name on the bank account does not match the name in the passport, the scanned file is unclear, or the balance on the date the document was issued fell below 500,000 THB due to exchange-rate fluctuations. (For safety, we recommend keeping a buffer of around 550,000 THB.)

In practice, immigration does not check the status of overseas companies during the year the way it does with companies in Thailand. The visa in your passport can still be used to travel in and out as normal. However, for your next extension, you may need to prepare new proof of work or a new portfolio to show the officer.

Because Thai embassies in different countries each have their own 'sub-criteria' and differ in how strictly they check remote-work letters. If your HR issues a letter in the wrong format, or a freelance contract is translated in a way that does not meet the criteria, the system will reject the application immediately, costing you the 10,000 THB fee and valuable time. The ETHAIVISA team has first-hand experience monitoring the e-Visa system worldwide. We check the content of your company letter, review your statement and plan a document strategy that gets approved in a single round, so that you can move to Thailand for your workcation as smoothly and confidently as possible.

It is a 5-year, multiple-entry long-term visa that allows foreigners who do not work online, but who wish to come to Thailand to take part in long-term cultural, sports, arts or medical activities, to stay in Thailand legally, with a permitted stay of 180 days per entry.

It currently covers 5 main groups: 1. Muay Thai training 2. Thai culinary classes 3. Other sports training 4. Short courses/seminars/music festivals, and 5. Long-term medical treatment.

The Non-ED (Education) visa requires you to study at a language school or university, submit attendance reports for immigration to check every 90 days, and can only be extended for short periods. The Soft Power DTV offers broader rights: a full 5-year visa validity, unlimited entries and exits without losing your entitlement, and stays of up to 180 days per entry without frequent reporting.

If the online work is 100% for companies abroad, you may do it alongside your activities. However, you are strictly prohibited from taking paid work or providing services to clients/companies located in Thailand. If you violate this without a Work Permit, your visa will be revoked immediately.

Yes, and it must not be even one baht short. The requirement of a bank deposit of no less than 500,000 THB (or the equivalent in another currency) is a mandatory rule shared by 'every category' of the DTV. It cannot be waived, even if you have already paid your course fees in full.

Under the stricter measures now in place (2026), many Thai embassies have started requiring a full 3-month bank statement to verify that the 500,000 THB deposit has genuinely been held untouched, rather than being funds transferred in recently just to create temporary evidence.

The official embassy fee is 10,000 THB (agency service fees not included). With a single payment, the visa covers a full 5 years. Each time you fly into Thailand, you can stay for 180 days per entry.

It is the 'official letter of acceptance for study or participation' from the Muay Thai camp, cooking school or medical facility in Thailand. The letter must be issued on official letterhead and clearly state the applicant's name, course details and duration of study.

It must attach a copy of its business licence/commercial registration (for example, a Muay Thai camp licence from the sports association, or a non-formal school licence from the Ministry of Education) to confirm to the embassy that the institution genuinely exists and that the booking is not fake.

For a long-stay visa application to be reasonable, embassies and immigration usually expect a continuous course of at least 3 to 6 months or more. If you submit a booking for a short course of just 1 week or 1 month, the embassy will reject the application and recommend a tourist visa instead.

Absolutely not. The purpose of the DTV is for foreigners to come and stay in Thailand and take part in activities 'within Thailand' (on-site). Your evidence must show attendance at a real classroom or gym located in Thailand only.

You need a medical appointment letter from a hospital in Thailand stating the treatment plan and the recovery period required, which must be continuous for more than 180 days, together with proof of payment of a deposit for the medical treatment (if any).

You need an official receipt for your event ticket booking, together with a certification letter from the event organiser. The event must be a large-scale project with a continuous programme of activities that reasonably justifies a long-term stay.

Absolutely! The main holder of a Soft Power DTV can bring a spouse (with a legally registered marriage) and children under 20 years of age, who can apply for a DTV Dependent Visa and live together in Thailand for the full 5 years.

Yes. Dependant family members receive a stamp permitting them to stay in Thailand for 180 days per entry, expiring on exactly the same date as the main holder's entitlement. You can travel in and out or extend your stays together.

No. In every case, the DTV must be applied for through the Thai E-Visa online system of a Thai embassy abroad, 'outside Thailand' only. A change of visa type cannot be made within the country.

The best approach is to have the Muay Thai institution in Thailand issue a complete set of documents. You then travel to a neighbouring country (such as Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia), submit your DTV application online to the Thai embassy there, and fly back to Thailand once it has been approved.

When extending at the immigration office in Thailand (fee: 1,900 THB), you must obtain a 'progress letter' confirming your study or activity from your Muay Thai camp or school, to prove to the immigration officer that you have genuinely been attending and did not simply buy a booking as a front.

If you always leave the country 'before 90 days have passed' after entering Thailand, you do not need to do 90-Day Reporting. However, if you choose to apply for the further 180-day extension at immigration and stay continuously until day 90 without leaving, you must file 90-Day Reporting under normal immigration law.

The 5-year visa in your passport will not be cancelled immediately. As it is a multiple-entry visa, you can still travel in and out of Thailand as normal. However, if the immigration officer at the checkpoint asks for evidence of your activities on your next entry, you may need to enrol in a new course or show another Soft Power entitlement to confirm your purpose of stay.

It will certainly have an impact when you apply for your 180-day extension at the immigration office in Thailand, because immigration will not be able to call or verify your progress documents. If this happens, you must quickly find a new place to study and obtain a new letter of acceptance to use in place of the old one for your next extension.

Yes, it is essential and must not be omitted. Most embassies will ask to see the payment receipt for the full amount or the deposit together with the letter of acceptance, as solid evidence that you genuinely intend to take part in the activity rather than simply obtaining a free invitation letter.

Much less so, because the DTV is a long-term visa whose multiple-entry rights are clearly guaranteed by the government. As long as you have the required funds in your account and supporting evidence of your Soft Power activities, you can travel in and out to reset your 180-day entitlement with far more peace of mind than on a regular tourist visa.

The most common reasons are: 1. The Muay Thai camp or school does not have a valid legal operating licence 2. The course is too short 3. The bank statement does not show the 500,000 THB held for a full 3 months, or the scanned file is blurred and unclear. If your application is rejected, the 10,000 THB fee will not be refunded under any circumstances.

Because choosing an institution or Muay Thai camp whose licence 'fully meets the criteria accepted by Thai embassies' is hard to verify in the online system. If you submit documents from a school that does not meet the standard, your application will be rejected immediately. ETHAIVISA has a network of leading government-accredited Soft Power institutions, Muay Thai camps and cooking schools vetted in advance. We check the structure of your documents, make sure your 500,000 THB statement precisely meets the 2026 regulations, turn a complicated online process into an easy one, and ensure you obtain your visa and can enjoy your activities in Thailand smoothly.

It is a 5-year, multiple-entry long-term visa issued to immediate family members of a foreign national who holds a main DTV (whether under the digital nomad or Soft Power category), so that they can come to Thailand and live together legally.

The rules limit eligibility to just 2 main groups: 1. a spouse (with a legally registered marriage) and 2. children under 20 years of age (who are unmarried). Parents, siblings and other close relatives cannot use this type of dependant entitlement.

Certainly! Since the Marriage Equality Act came into force, same-sex spouses with a legally registered marriage (either in Thailand or in a country that recognises it, with the documents legalised) can apply for a DTV Dependent Visa under exactly the same criteria as opposite-sex spouses.

The visa is valid for a full 5 years, the same as the main holder's. Each time you enter Thailand, you are permitted to stay for a maximum of 180 days per entry, also the same as the main holder.

No. The DTV Dependent Visa is issued solely for the purpose of living with your family. Dependants do not have the right to work remotely as the main holder does, and are strictly prohibited from working for companies in Thailand. If you wish to work, you must change your visa type to a Non-B and apply for a new Work Permit under labour law.

In principle, there is no need to open a separate account. Dependants can use the 'main holder's' 500,000 THB proof of deposit in their application, together with a Sponsorship Letter signed by the main holder confirming financial responsibility.

Yes. In 2026, some Thai embassies and consulates (for example, in certain European countries) have introduced stricter sub-criteria, asking to see a separate deposit statement for each individual to be certain. Before applying online, we therefore recommend checking the latest regulations with ETHAIVISA so that we can plan your account balances as safely as possible.

Although the rules say dependants can share the main holder's 500,000 THB account, experience on the ground shows that holding a 'buffer' above the minimum (for example, keeping around 600,000 - 700,000 THB in the account) helps show the embassy that the main holder has sufficient financial means to support all 4 family members in Thailand, making approval much easier.

It is the official marriage certificate, clearly showing the names of the main holder and the applicant.

You need an official birth certificate clearly showing the name of the father or mother (the main DTV holder) to prove the family relationship. For an adopted child, the official legal adoption registration documents must be attached instead.

If the documents are not in English, they must first be translated into English or Thai. Most importantly, they must be legalised (Apostille or Consular Legalization) by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country or by the embassy, to confirm that they are genuine. Otherwise, the online system will reject them immediately.

It is a letter in English written by the main DTV holder, declaring and certifying to the embassy that 'I am a DTV holder and agree to be responsible for all living, travel and health insurance expenses of my spouse/children for the entire time they are in Thailand.'

We recommend applying slightly afterwards. The safest process is for the main holder to apply and have their DTV fully approved first, then attach the main holder's DTV approval file as the key reference document when completing the dependant's Thai E-Visa application. This makes it easier for the officer to link the records and approve the application.

No. In every case, including for dependants, the DTV must be applied for through the online system from outside Thailand only. There is no option to change from a tourist visa to a DTV at an immigration office in Thailand.

You will need to plan a trip to a nearby neighbouring country (such as Laos or Malaysia) and submit a DTV Dependent application online to the Thai embassy there. Once approved (with the file received by email), you can travel back to Thailand with your 5-year dependant entitlement.

The fee is the same as for the main holder: 10,000 THB (or the equivalent in local currency) per person. A single payment gives you the same full 5 years of multiple-entry rights.

You can all go together with the main holder to the immigration office in Thailand to apply for a temporary 180-day extension of stay (immigration fee: 1,900 THB per person). Dependants must also attach the main holder's passport and up-to-date relationship documents.

The same rules apply as for the main holder. If you always travel in and out of the country before 90 days have passed, you do not need to. However, if you choose the 180-day extension and stay continuously in Thailand until day 90, every family member (including children) is required to file 90-Day Reporting under immigration law.

The visa will not lapse, and you are free to travel! As the DTV is already a multiple-entry visa, dependants can travel in and out of Thailand on their own at any time. The 180-day entitlement resets each time you return, with no need to waste time on a Re-entry Permit.

Under the rules, dependant status ends immediately when the child turns 20 (reaches legal adulthood). The child can no longer use the 180-day extension as a dependant and must instead switch to a visa type of their own (such as an Education Visa (Non-ED) or a work visa).

The Dependent Visa entitlement ends immediately on the date the divorce is legally registered. As the legal relationship has ended, the dependant can no longer use the right of stay and must leave the country or change their visa type within the given deadline.

All Dependent Visas end along with the main entitlement. However, immigration offers humanitarian leniency, allowing the family to stay temporarily (around 30-60 days) to arrange the funeral and settle assets. After that, the family must change their visa type or return to their home country.

The E-Visa system checks photos very strictly. A baby's photo must be taken facing the camera with eyes open, against a pure white background, with no shadows, no part of the mother's hands holding the child, and absolutely no other objects in the frame. We recommend using a professional photo studio to avoid the system rejecting the application.

The most common reasons are: 1. The marriage or birth certificate has not been translated into English, or has not been stamped for legalisation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2. The name and surname in the passport do not match those on the relationship document 3. The Sponsorship Letter is incomplete. If your application is rejected, the 10,000 THB fee will not be refunded under any circumstances.

Because preparing cross-border relationship documents that meet the very detailed rules of each Thai embassy worldwide is highly complex. A single mistake by HR or the applicant in the legalised documents can derail the whole family's visas and waste tens of thousands of baht. The ETHAIVISA team will take care of checking everything in the E-Visa system in advance, review translations and Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamps, and draft an official Sponsorship Letter for you 100%, so that you and your family can move to Thailand and enjoy life here together smoothly and without any worries.