How do I activate my DTV visa after entering Thailand on a tourist visa?

@Christoph ********

Pals have done that for visa exempt previously and no issues.

@Christoph ********

Malaysia is another option but Changi is worth a few hours in and of itself.

@Alistair *********

yes you can both apply and stay in a different place than Ho Chi Minh City (when you apply you need to be in the south of Vietnam/the area of Vietnam where the HCMC consulate has jurisdiction). You just have to prepare to go to HCMC for an interview IF they request an interview. It is rare, but they reserve the right to ask for one if they think it is needed.

@Cissi ********

ok best to be patient and stay put then

@Alistair *********

if you suffer from the pollution you could just find a place a bit outside of HCMC and check your e-mail regularly. They won't ask you for an interview the next hour... more likely the next day or so.

@Alistair *********

yes people get asked gor interviews. You can leave the city as long as you stay in the jurisdiction area of the consulate you applied

@Cissi ********

a lot of people nowadays are impatient.

Ten years ago people accepted that applying for a visa took a lot of time and planned to do this at least o mother before travelling.

Because at that time you had to hand in the passport you did not even have the possibility to travel.

@Luit ****************

💯

@Cissi ********

Yeah, you’re risking having a bigger issue where maybe they don’t accept your DTV visa or you get in trouble for some sort of violations🤷🏻‍♂️

@Bruno **********

read the comment above!

@Luit ****************

please show me the law that say this is a violation ?

@Bruno **********

You were already referred to Dutch and French embassy, if that is not enough for you and you are too lazy to do your own research then just don't believe what others say and keep your own truth.

Just a few links in case it is too complex for you to find embassy sites.

They are all a little bit customised for their own embassy, but the words used are almost exactly the same, suggesting MFA gives them a base document they can customise.



6f2

That's what i said. This is not a law, and there will be no other consequence that a tiny risk of visa rejection. So this is not an offence, and not a crime. Thanks Mr obvious

@Bruno **********

or Thai embassy in Netherlands

@Bruno **********

for example the Thai embassy in Paris.

@Tod ********

So if I go to Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh ), apply for the visa on Monday , flight back to Thailand the same day , and the visa is approved two weeks after , I only need to leave to another country and back Thailand? What about interviews, etc? Thanks mate 🙏

SOME people who applied too close to them coming to thailand have been able to come here and then the visa gets approved and for them to activate it you have to bounce out/back

nope doesn't work that way

@Rob ********

, you STAY in the country where you applied for the visa until it's approved

The consulates are catching on to people "gaming the system" like that 😮

3-5 days after you apply for the visa they ask you to send every page of your passport (blank pages to) just to check to see if you bailed out and went back to thailand, and if you did go to thailand you are denied the visa

You just wait it out 😉 a week or 10 days in another country waiting for a FIVE year visa isn't gonna kill anyone 😛

@Tod ********

ok mate I understand, better do everything correct and then go back home. Thanks 🙏

@Rob ********

don't get me wrong; people have done exactly what you asked about (went to a country, applied, then came back to thailand to wait for the approval)

AND sometimes it works out fine (they get approved, can bounce out/back and activate the visa

BUT

sometimes they get caught out and the visa rejected. 😕

I will leave it to you to make the decision on your own (y)

Sincerely good luck with it, safe travels 🙂

It's a crap shoot and you just don't know how it will go once you apply.

@Tod ********

I never ever cheated the system in Thailand, and I live here for years already, my family and life are here, so going to another country to apply online for a visa is kind of ridiculous, it would be much better and smart to be able to do in immigration inside the country (better spend my money here in Thailand than in an hotel in Vietnam doing nothing 😆), it is a bit ridiculous to me, but like I always say, it is not our country, so we need to accept the rules or leave 😆.

@Rob ********

If you have a family here (married to a thai, have thai kids) you probably qualify for a visa/extension that you can get IN country by meeting the requirements at the immigration office..

If not and you want a DTV, that type visa is only sold outside the country at a thai consulates.

Couple months ago you could have went to a consulate applied in the morning had the visa by the afternoon and came back to thailand (but that ship sailed when the consulates switched to the online eVisa system) you just didn't go apply soon enough to get the sticker visa at a walk up consulate

@Tod ********

yeah of course, I got a visiting family Non 0 visa extension already, but DTV is much better for my particular interest (no kids just wife 😆 ).

@Rob ********

yep, DTV can be a good "fit" visa wise for many people

sincerely good luck with it,

Right now from reports it seems the thai consulate in Phnom Penh is the fastest turn around for eVisas with most people getting approved in 5 working days or so

@Tod ********

Well i Will submit everything on Sunday and after that crossing fingers to get it ASAP 😂