DTV soft power: what must the enrolment letter show?

Which activities the pages name

If your activity is not on your embassy's list, ask the embassy before you pay. We did not find an official list that covers every activity.

What the letter must contain

Embassies describe the letter in different words. Munich gives the most detail. The Munich page (it shows no date, so check it is current) says the letter must show:

1. Your personal details.
2. The name and address of the facility.
3. How long you will take part or be treated.
4. Confirmation of payment.
5. A Thai company registration excerpt for the host, issued by the Department of Business Development within 6 months and signed (Munich asks for it with the letter).

Paris asks for a similar set, written in its own way: a letter of invitation or acceptance from the host organisation in Thailand, the ID of the person who signs, the business registration or licence of the host, and proof of payment. For medical care, Paris accepts a hospital letter that commits to the treatment.

The safe approach is one letter that covers all of these points and is signed by a named person.

Muay Thai: a stricter rule at Los Angeles

The Los Angeles consulate page, updated on 1 Oct 2026, says a Muay Thai applicant needs an official letter of acceptance and support from the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT). The applicant also needs documents from a boxing gym that SAT has certified. We did not find the same sentence on the London, Washington DC or Munich pages. A gym that is not SAT-certified may not satisfy a post that asks for this. Check with your own embassy.

Cooking and other courses

Washington DC asks for a letter of acceptance from the institute or company that runs the activity. London asks for "proof of confirmation to attend". Neither page, nor any other primary page we read, states a minimum number of hours or weeks. Websites that quote a minimum course length are not official sources. Do not trust a number you cannot trace to your embassy.

Good practice for a course letter:

• Letterhead, address and contact details of the school.
• Your full name as in the passport.
• Start and end dates and a weekly schedule.
• The fee and proof that you paid.
• Business registration or licence of the school (Paris asks for it).

Medical treatment

London and Washington DC ask for a letter of appointment from a hospital or medical center. Paris says the hospital commitment letter. The letter should name you, the treatment or the check-up plan, the dates and the hospital contact. Do not attach private medical records unless the embassy asks for them.

What every soft power applicant also needs

The fee at each embassy is in the DTV requirements guide.

Stay and limits

Each entry gives up to 180 days. London and Helsinki say you can extend once for up to 180 days at Thai immigration. After that you must leave and enter again. The visa is valid for 5 years with multiple entries. The visa does not prove that your course is still running. Keep your own records in case an officer asks.

Common mistakes

• A letter with no dates or no signature.
• A payment receipt that does not show your name.
• A gym or school that is not registered, or that has no business registration to attach.
• A very short course used to justify a 5-year visa. Embassies decide each case, and no page sets a minimum. A thin plan raises questions.
• Using the wrong visa. Paris says, for example, that children in international schools need a Non-immigrant ED visa, not a DTV family visa. Ask your embassy if your study is not on its list.

Before you apply

1. Your activity is on your embassy's list, or you asked the embassy.
2. Your letter names you, the facility and its address, the dates, and confirms payment.
3. The letter is signed by a named person, on letterhead.
4. You have the host's business registration (Paris, Munich), issued within 6 months for Munich.
5. For Muay Thai at Los Angeles, you have the SAT letter and documents from an SAT-certified gym.

Helsinki says all applications are subject to approval and visa fees are non-refundable. Our DTV pre-check checks whether your letter has the points above before you pay on thaievisa.go.th. The embassy decides.