The DTV Visa: Thailand’s Five-Year Visa for Remote Workers
The DTV lets remote workers and people on “soft power” courses such as Muay Thai or Thai cooking stay up to 180 days at a time, for five years. It is generous, but it comes with clear limits on work and tax.
The short version
- A 5-year, multiple-entry visa; each entry gives 180 days, extendable once by 180 days.
- Show 500,000 baht in savings; many embassies want it held for about three months.
- Visa fee about 10,000 baht; an in-country extension is 1,900 baht.
- Remote work for employers or clients outside Thailand only; no Thai employer.
- Staying 180+ days in a calendar year makes you a Thai tax resident.
Who the DTV is for
- Workation: remote workers and freelancers with employers or clients outside Thailand
- Soft power: Muay Thai, Thai cooking, medical treatment and seminars, with an enrolment or appointment letter
- Applicants must be 20 or over and apply online from outside Thailand
- Thai language schools no longer qualify
Applying, entering and extending
You apply through the Thai e-visa system from outside Thailand, with proof of 500,000 baht and evidence of your remote work or activity. Each entry gives 180 days, which you can extend once at an immigration office for 1,900 baht. Leaving and re-entering gives a fresh 180 days.
The DTV cannot be renewed; when it expires after five years you apply again.
Work limits and tax
You cannot work for a Thai company on a DTV. If you spend 180 days or more in Thailand in a calendar year you become a Thai tax resident, and foreign income you bring into Thailand can be taxable. Take advice on your own situation.
The figures to know
Figures from The Thaiger, updated 26 Aug 2026. Requirements vary by embassy.
DTV mistakes to avoid
It does not allow it.
Many embassies want three months’ history.
180 days makes you tax resident.
It no longer qualifies.
Everything for remote workers
Guides from the JLIT library.
Hubs for remote workers
Visas, internet and community.
Keep going
Questions newcomers ask
How long can I stay on a DTV?
180 days per entry, extendable once by 180 days at immigration. The visa is valid for five years with multiple entries.
How much money do I need for a DTV?
500,000 baht in savings. Many embassies expect the balance to have been held for around three months.
Can I work in Thailand on a DTV?
Only remotely for employers or clients outside Thailand. You cannot work for a Thai company.
