How we research, write, and stay independent

Independence — the part nobody else writes

Most "Thailand visa" websites are agent-owned. The article ranks the Privilege Visa #1 because the agent earns ฿80-120k commission per Privilege Membership sold. The DTV recommendation is buried because a self-applied DTV pays the agent nothing. The "free consultation" is actually a sales call.

We do things differently. Pattaya Visa Help is not an agent. We do not earn commissions from Privilege Memberships, LTR applications, agent referrals, or visa packages. We are paid for direct visa consulting, which is independent of which visa you choose. If our recommendation is "do nothing — your tourist exemption is enough", we say that even though it earns us nothing.

This independence is the only reason we can rank visas honestly. The DTV is genuinely the best long-stay visa for the average remote worker — it costs us nothing to say so. The LTR is genuinely the best for high earners — same. We do not have to push the visa with the highest commission.

Tier-1 sources we use

We use a strict hierarchy of sources for every visa fact on this site:

Tier 1 — Primary government sources (always preferred):

• Royal Thai Government Gazette (ratchakitcha.soc.go.th) — Royal Decrees, Cabinet rulings, Ministerial Regulations
• Thai Immigration Bureau official notifications and policy directives
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mfa.go.th) for embassy/consular practices
• Board of Investment (BOI) for LTR Wealthy Global Citizen criteria
• Ministry of Education for ED visa accreditation
• Department of Employment (Labour) for work permit rules
• Revenue Department for foreign income remittance and tax residency

Tier 2 — Direct experience (used carefully):

• Our own ongoing client cases at Jomtien, Chaeng Watthana, and provincial immigration offices
• Verified reports from Pattaya-based immigration lawyers we trust
• Direct correspondence with embassy consular sections (UK, US, German, Russian, Australian for our client base)

Tier 3 — Reference (background, never primary):

• Established expat forums (ASEAN Now / Thaivisa) — useful for ground-level signal but never quoted as source-of-truth
• Bangkok Post and The Nation visa coverage
• Other reputable visa sites for cross-checking

Sources we explicitly reject: agent marketing copy, Facebook group claims unverified at primary source, generic "Thailand visa" content farms, and AI-generated visa articles.

How we keep content current

Thai visa rules change. The 30-day visa-exempt was extended to 60 then partially rolled back in 2024. The DTV launched in July 2024. The LTR was reformed by Royal Decree 743. The 90-day reporting digital portal kept changing forms through 2025. The recent TM30 enforcement push in Pattaya is a 2026 event.

Our refresh cycle:

• Daily: we monitor the Royal Gazette RSS, Cabinet press releases, and Thai Immigration social channels
• Within 14 days: any visa-class change makes it into the relevant pillar page, with the change clearly flagged
• Quarterly: all 12 visa pillars get a structural review for completeness
• Annual: the entire site is re-audited for outdated cost figures, embassy contact details, and form numbers

Each page footer shows its "Last refreshed" date. If you spot something outdated, email [email protected] and we publish an update within 48 hours.

When we are wrong — and how we handle it

We make mistakes. Examples from the past 18 months:

• Initially listed the DTV insurance requirement as "mandatory" — corrected after Cabinet clarification that DTV does not require insurance
• Quoted ฿65k/month income for retirement Non-O without noting it can be combined with bank balance — added the combination math after a reader caught it
• Listed Bangkok Bank as universally accepting DTV holders — corrected after multiple reader reports of branch-level inconsistency
• Said the LTR Highly-Skilled Professional category was "tax-free" — corrected to specify the 17% flat tax rate option

When we discover an error, we:

1. Fix the live page within 48 hours
2. Add a correction note in the page footer if it was a meaningful change
3. Email anyone who contacted us based on the wrong info, with the correction

If you spot something you think is wrong, please email — we genuinely appreciate it. The fastest way to make this site better is reader feedback.

Who actually writes this

Pattaya Visa Help is a small independent operation based in Pattaya, Thailand. The founder Tim has been in Pattaya since 2018 and works directly with foreign clients on Thai visa matters. The day-to-day research, writing, and update cycle is handled in-house with assistance from established Pattaya immigration lawyers we partner with for complex cases.

We do not use generative AI to write visa pages. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude are useful for code, formatting, and proofreading — but the visa content itself comes from primary sources and direct case experience. AI-generated visa content is one of the biggest risks to expats right now because it confidently states outdated rules. We refuse to add to that pile.

How we make money — full disclosure

Three revenue streams:

1. Direct visa consulting — paid 1-on-1 advisory for foreigners with complex situations. Hourly rate posted on the contact page. Flat-rate packages for full visa applications. This is most of our income.
2. Specialist matching — for clients who need a Thai immigration lawyer, accountant, or established visa agent, we make introductions to vetted specialists. We do not take kickbacks from these specialists. The introduction is free for the client.
3. Newsletter and consulting retainers — small business owners and HR teams retain us for ongoing visa advisory.

What we do not do: take agent commissions, sell Privilege Memberships, sell LTR applications as packaged products, or run "free consultation" calls that are actually sales pitches. The 15-minute consultation on this site is genuinely free — no upsell, no sales script.

Flag an error or ask a question

Email [email protected]. WhatsApp +66 96 728 6999. We answer every legitimate inquiry, usually within 24 hours.