Can I still apply for the DTV in Vientiane or Vietnam?

For two years the standard plan was a short trip to Laos: fly to Vientiane on a tourist stamp, file online, and collect a five year multiple entry visa a few days later. Tdac.info describes the same shortcut through Hanoi and Phnom Penh. That plan ended on 31 August 2026.

What the Vientiane notice says

The Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane announced two requirements, which tdac.info reports as applying worldwide. You must be a national or a permanent resident of the country where you submit, and being there lawfully as a tourist is not enough. And you must add a police clearance certificate from your country of nationality or of the country where you apply. A Lao tourist stamp or a three month rental in Da Nang does not make you a resident of either country.

Vietnam in particular

Because the rule applies worldwide, it covers the Thai missions in Vietnam too. Unless you are Vietnamese or hold permanent residence in Vietnam, a temporary residence card or an e-visa does not qualify, and nobody has published a country by country list of what counts as permanent. ThaiLawOnline notes that the fee, 10,000 THB converted by each post, is not refunded on rejection, so an application lodged at the wrong post is a lost fee rather than a delay.

Who is not affected

Applications both submitted and paid before 31 August 2026 are handled under the old criteria; one started but unpaid does not qualify, per tdac.info. Existing DTV holders keep their visa, and the funds requirement of 500,000 THB did not change.

And not from inside Thailand either

The DTV is issued only outside Thailand, and a tourist entry cannot be converted at an immigration office, according to ThaiLawOnline. Applications go through the official e-Visa portal, thaievisa.go.th.

What people in Laos or Vietnam are doing now

Most fly home and apply there, ordering the police certificate at the same time. The full decision flow, including the permanent residence route and the tourist entry bridge, is in our post on where to apply for the DTV now, and the document list is in the complete DTV guide.