Updated What the 31 August rules mean for you

Your DTV file, built for the 2026 rules.

Since 31 August, Thailand asks every DTV applicant for proof of permanent residence and a police certificate. Check where you stand before you pay the visa fee (about 10,000 THB, set by each mission), then build a complete, consistent file for your mission.

Get the kit for $29 Check my readiness

Rules last checked on 26 October 2026 against mostly official Thai government and mission pages, with sources cited; secondary sources are labelled.

Readiness check

5 questions, about 40 seconds
Where will you apply?
Your route
500,000 THB (or your mission's figure) held for the last 3 months?
Police certificate from your country?
Evidence for your route

Pick a route above first

Advice written before 31 August 2026 is out of date

Since January 2025 the DTV has moved online, gained two new mandatory documents, and visa-free stays were cut. Tips like "apply in Vientiane with a hotel booking" no longer work.

  1. Everything moves to the e-Visa portal

    You apply online to the mission that covers your country and upload every document as a file.

  2. Proof of permanent residence becomes mandatory

    You apply where you are a citizen or permanent resident (a few missions also accept long-term visas). A hotel booking in a neighbouring country is no longer enough, and you cannot apply from inside Thailand.

  3. A criminal-record certificate for every applicant

    From your nationality or your application country. London wants it issued within the last 6 months; Washington wants the FBI certificate issued within 3 months.

  4. Visa-free stays drop from 60 to 30 days

    The 60-day exemption was revoked: nationals of 60 countries now get 30 days, and land entries are capped at twice a year. Long-stayers now need a proper visa, such as the DTV.

Read the full breakdown with sources, or go straight to police certificates by country or the Muay Thai and soft-power route.

One folder. Every document, letter and deadline.

Stay180 is a step-by-step handbook and a set of fill-in-the-blanks letters for the people who write them: you, your employer, your clients, your school, your sponsor.

The tracker shows how long each document takes and when it expires, so your police certificate and bank statements are still valid on the day you submit.

Instant download: PDF, Word-compatible .rtf, plain text and a spreadsheet.

  • The DTV Handbook, 2026 rules editionRoutes, the residence rule, money proof, remote-work and soft-power evidence, rejections, life after approval
    16 chapters
  • 10 letter templatesCover letters, employer remote-work letter, client letter, self-employed declaration, sponsor, school enrolment, accommodation, explanation, dependent
    .rtf + .txt
  • Document tracker23 documents with where to get them, lead times, age limits and file names
    .csv
  • Police certificates for 11 countriesUS, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Sweden, India, Japan
    in handbook
  • Mission-check worksheetThe 13 things to copy from your embassy's page before you order anything
    in handbook
  • 20-point pre-submission scorecardCheck your file on 20 points before you pay the non-refundable visa fee
    in handbook
  • If you are refused, and life after approvalRe-applying after a refusal, TM30, 90-day reports, extensions, the 180-day tax rule
    in handbook
  • Bonus: Living on your DTVWhat a month costs in 4 cities, your first week (SIM, TM30, 90-day report, money), a timeline back from submission and a packing list
    PDF
  • 12 months of free rule updatesWhen a mission or the e-Visa site changes a rule, we update the kit. Download the latest version for 12 months from purchase via your download link, with 5 downloads per version, and we'll email you when we publish an update. See what changed on the changelog. Included.
    included

Free advice, or a current kit you work through yourself

FeatureFree checklists and groupsStay180
CostFree$29, once
Covers the 31 Aug 2026 rulesCheck the dateYes, checked 26 Oct 2026
Letters for employers, clients and schoolsRarely10 editable templates
Who checks your fileStrangers in commentsYou, with a 20-point scorecard
Your documents shared withA public group, sometimesNobody. Everything stays on your device

One payment. Yours to keep.

Pay by card. You get the download link right after payment.

DTV Kit

$29 USD

Everything you need to build your DTV file yourself, in one download.

  • The DTV Handbook, 2026 rules edition (16 chapters)
  • 10 editable letter templates
  • Document tracker spreadsheet
  • Mission-check worksheet (in the handbook)
  • 20-point pre-submission scorecard (in the handbook)
  • What to do after a refusal, plus TM30, 90-day reports and extensions (in the handbook)
  • Bonus guide: Living on your DTV (costs for 4 cities, first week, timeline)
  • 12 months of free rule updates

Download the latest version for 12 months from purchase via your download link, with 5 downloads per version, and we'll email you when we publish an update.

Get the Kit for $29

Instant download, updated for 12 months. Nobody can honestly promise a visa decision: every case is different and the officer decides. Sales are final once files are delivered, but we refund a broken or undelivered file we can't fix, a duplicate purchase or a payment error. See the refund policy.

Not ready to buy? Take the free 2026 checklist.

One page with every document the new rules require, by route. Enter your email and the download appears right here on the page.

Questions

Is this legal advice?

No. Stay180 is an independent information product, not a law firm, and we're not connected to the Thai government. We explain the published rules, cite the sources, and tell you exactly what to confirm with your mission.

I'm living in Vietnam (or Bali, or Chiang Mai). Where can I apply now?

Only if you're a citizen or resident there; a tourist visa isn't enough. Since 31 August 2026 you apply through the Thai mission for the country where you hold citizenship or residence, with proof, and each mission defines residence differently: Ho Chi Minh City accepts a Vietnamese Temporary or Permanent Residence Card, while Vientiane wants Lao nationality or permanent residence. For most nomads that means your home country. You can't apply from inside Thailand either: Kuala Lumpur, for example, rejects applications submitted from Thailand and keeps the fee. Chapter 4 walks you through finding your mission and what to copy from its page.

Can you guarantee my visa?

No, and be careful of anyone who does. The decision belongs to the Thai mission. The kit helps you submit a complete, consistent file and avoid the common reasons files are refused.

How do I know it's current?

Every rule in the handbook lists its source and the date we checked it. The public changelog records every update, and every kit includes 12 months of free rule updates. Download the latest version for 12 months from purchase via your download link, with 5 downloads per version, and we'll email you when we publish an update.

What do I actually download?

A ZIP with the handbook (PDF), 10 letter templates in Word-compatible .rtf and plain text, and the tracker spreadsheet (.csv, opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets). The handbook also includes the mission-check worksheet and the 20-point pre-submission scorecard. You also get a bonus guide (PDF), Living on your DTV: what a month costs in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya, your first week (SIM, TM30, 90-day report, money), a timeline back from submission and a packing list. Each PDF shows your name (or your email) in the footer. Your link allows 5 downloads per kit version, and every new version gives you 5 fresh downloads.