DTV for Muay Thai, cooking courses and medical treatment

The DTV is best known as Thailand’s visa for remote workers, but it has a second category that matters for many long-stay visitors: Thai “soft power” activities. If you want to train Muay Thai for months, take a long cooking course or have medical treatment in Thailand, this is the category to look at.

All rules below come from the DTV pages of the Royal Thai Embassies in London and Budapest, read on 25 October 2026. Each embassy publishes its own list, so details can differ where you apply.

Which activities count

The London embassy gives Muay Thai, Thai culinary training and medical treatment as examples. The Budapest embassy lists six:

• Muay Thai courses
• Thai cooking courses
• Sports training
• Medical treatment
• Seminars
• Music festivals

Neither list says it is complete. If your activity is not on it, ask the embassy before you book.

The 6-month rule

The Budapest embassy is explicit: the Thai cultural activity should be at least 6 months long, and anything shorter risks a refusal. The London page does not state a minimum. In practice, our reading is that a two-week cooking class is unlikely to carry a DTV application on its own; plan for a course or training block of half a year or more, or ask the embassy where you apply.

Documents

London asks soft power applicants for:

1. Passport biodata page
2. A photo taken within the last six months
3. Proof of permanent residence in the UK, Ireland or a British Overseas Territory
4. Financial evidence of no less than GBP 12,000 (500,000 THB), such as bank statements
5. Proof of confirmation to attend the activity, or a letter of appointment from the hospital or medical centre
6. A police clearance certificate issued within 6 months

Budapest adds that the confirmation should come with supporting documents such as a copy of the institution’s business registration, and that funds must be shown with a 6-month official bank statement, payslips or a sponsorship letter. Crypto and investment statements are not accepted there.

What you get

The visa is valid 5 years with multiple entries. Each entry gives up to 180 days, and London says you can extend once through the Immigration Bureau by up to 180 days. Then you leave and can come back on the same visa while it is valid.

What you do not get: the right to work in Thailand. Budapest says DTV holders cannot get a Thai work permit, work for companies in Thailand or take Thai freelance clients. Training at a gym is fine; working at it is not.

Cost

Each embassy charges in its own currency. London lists GBP 300 and Budapest EUR 350 for the multiple-entry visa. Budget separately for the course or treatment itself, which the visa does not cover.

When the DTV is the wrong tool

Budapest says the DTV is not intended for long-term relocation. If your real plan is to live in Thailand, compare the retirement visa, the LTR and Thailand Privilege. And if the purpose is a child’s schooling, Budapest says a DTV will not be accepted; a Non-ED visa is the route.