DTV proof of funds: the 500,000 THB requirement
The DTV money test is a bank statement covering the last 3 months with an ending balance of at least 500,000 THB, in your own name. That is the official line from the MFA checklist. Whether it clears depends on how the money sits and how you present it, and that is where most avoidable refusals begin.
The money test at a glance
| Minimum to show | 500,000 THB ending balance |
| Statement period | the last 3 months |
| Income proof | salary or income for the last 6 months, applied unevenly |
| Whose account | yours, in your name |
| Currency | an equivalent in another currency is accepted |
| Not accepted | crypto, brokerage, investment, and business accounts |
What the 500,000 THB rule actually says
The official MFA checklist asks for a bank statement covering the last 3 months with an ending balance of no less than 500,000 THB, plus proof of salary or monthly income for the last 6 months. The income part is applied unevenly across embassies, but it is in the official list, so prepare it rather than explain its absence at the counter.
Two ways the money can look: savings or income
The checklist names both a savings figure and an income history, and strong cases usually carry both. A salaried applicant shows the balance plus payslips. A freelancer leans on the balance and backs it with invoices and contracts. Neither route is officially better. A thin case on one side simply gets read against the other, so the weaker your income trail, the more settled your balance needs to look.
The seasoning myth
You may have read that the money must sit untouched for 90 days, a so-called seasoning rule. No official source states this. What is true: a balance that appeared right before the application is a known trigger for questions about where the funds came from. Settled money, or a short written explanation of a recent transfer, reads far better than a fresh five-figure deposit with no story.
What your bank statement has to show
The document does the talking, so it has to be legible and official. Get these four things right and most questions never come up.
- An official bank statement, issued by the bank, ideally as a PDF, not a phone screenshot.
- Your name on it, spelled exactly as in your passport.
- The full 3-month period and a clear ending balance.
- An issue date, recent enough that the balance still reads as current.
| Passes review | Triggers questions |
|---|---|
| Official bank statement with your name, the issue date, and the balance | App screenshot with a balance but no name or date |
| Balance comfortably above the 500,000 THB equivalent | Balance sitting exactly at the limit, exposed to exchange-rate swings |
| Money visible across the full 3-month period | A single large deposit days before applying, unexplained |
| Account in the applicant's name | Someone else's account without a documented relationship |
What does not count as proof of funds
The instrument the embassy wants is a plain personal bank account. Assets that cannot be read as a stable cash balance are not accepted as the main proof.
Not accepted as main proof: cryptocurrency, brokerage and investment accounts, pension funds, and business accounts. A regular bank account in your name is the instrument.
Currency and the buffer worth keeping
You do not need Thai baht. An equivalent of 500,000 THB in USD, EUR, GBP, or another currency works, measured on the statement date. Our internal standard is to sit comfortably above the line rather than on it. Rates move between the day of your statement and the day an officer reviews it, and a balance that was exactly at the minimum last week can read as short today.
Money mistakes that cost applicants the case
- Submitting an app screenshot as the main document instead of a bank-issued statement.
- Showing a balance sitting exactly at the 500,000 THB line, then losing it to an exchange-rate dip.
- A single large deposit days before applying, with no explanation of where it came from.
- Using an account that is not in your name, without documenting the relationship.
Frequently asked questions
Related DTV pages
Want your statement checked before the embassy sees it?
We read your bank statement against the embassy you apply through: the name, the dates, the balance, the currency math, and whether a recent deposit needs a note. You get the weak spots before the application goes in, not after a refusal.