Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we're discussing, well we're discussing some nightmares we are seeing with Visa Runners dealing with Destination Thailand Visas. One of the things we are seeing involves - I talked about this in another video - the digitization of the Immigration System is just becoming something out of some kind of Kafkaesque Soviet fever dream. I mean it's just pretty ridiculous.

One thing we were dealing with lately was somebody who has an offshore company. They were in an offshore jurisdiction but they don't live there, but they were processing through there because all their documentation was there but they were using the online system and then they come back with, they say, “well they need to be there.” Well why? And understanding, they can't be in Thailand when they are processing a Visa online, I get that, but the point of these Destination Thailand Visas is that they are for people who are nomadic, they are on the go; they just want to be in Thailand for periodic stays, they are not going to live and work here. We are all kind of remote workers now, life and work is more fluid, and the online system and the process of getting these visas processed through is almost antithetical to that, and if anything, the requirement that this stuff be done online is not actually contributing to the efficiency.

I have seen this a lot in the context of US Immigration where we have seen the National Visa Center become totally digitized and frankly it hasn't made the process easier in many ways. It also does not allow for accounting for extenuating circumstances. Sometimes there are just people who don't neatly fit into a box that you can check. They are traveling around; they are trying to process their Visa online. I thought the whole point of online visas is so you didn't have to go to the Embassy and therefore be encumbered by being physically present in one particular jurisdiction and yet you still do and you have to deal with an unaccountable online processing system that we have seen in a number of cases here recently, but one acutely in this offshore jurisdiction out here in East Asia I should say.

So I guess the point of this video is DTV was sort of billed as this, "Oh, it is more convenient, it is easier to deal with". We are not really seeing that. Meanwhile, it has downsides insofar as when you get here to Thailand, you are not work authorized; it's clearly not work authorized. The Ministry of Interior has said that. If it impinges on the economy of Thailand, then you can't do it here. And on top of that, there are all kinds of banking problems associated with the Destination Thailand Visa, because they don't want to open Bank Accounts for those folks. 

So the point of this video I guess is look, if you are having issues with processing of a DTV maybe contact a legal professional and maybe also contact a legal professional before seeking any Visa, as there may be other more convenient options.