Destinations
Where to base your DTV stay in Thailand
The Destination Thailand Visa soft-power route often starts with a place: a city where you can cook, train and live for months. Each destination below brings together our ranked cooking classes and Muay Thai gyms for that city, so you can compare options side by side before you choose where to apply and enroll.
Choose a city
Six destinations, each with ranked cooking schools and Muay Thai gyms.
Bangkok
Bangkok suits DTV holders who want city infrastructure: fast transport, coworking spaces, hospitals and easy access to embassies and immigration offices.
10 cooking schools · 10 Muay Thai gyms →
Northern Thailand, mountain cityChiang Mai
Low living costs, cooler weather from November to February and a large community of long-term foreign residents make Chiang Mai a natural base for a DTV soft-power stay.
10 cooking schools · 10 Muay Thai gyms →
Gulf of Thailand islandKoh Samui
Samui is smaller and calmer than Phuket, which suits trainees and learners planning a multi-week or multi-month routine away from big-city distractions.
10 cooking schools · 10 Muay Thai gyms →
Andaman coast provinceKrabi
Krabi works for DTV holders who want beaches, limestone scenery and lower costs than Phuket, with Krabi International Airport a short drive from Ao Nang.
10 cooking schools · 10 Muay Thai gyms →
Eastern seaboard, ChonburiPattaya
Pattaya is roughly 90 minutes to two hours by road from Bangkok's main airport and pairs city comfort with daily training, which appeals to trainees on longer camps.
3 cooking schools · 10 Muay Thai gyms →
Andaman coast islandPhuket
Phuket suits DTV holders who want a complete training lifestyle: camps, beaches and an international airport, with neighborhoods for every budget.
10 cooking schools · 10 Muay Thai gyms →
Before you pick a city
Since 31 August 2026, DTV applications go to the Thai embassy or consulate covering your nationality or documented permanent residence, not the mission nearest your chosen city. Read the new rules and the DTV Visa Thailand guide first, then use the cooking class and Muay Thai guides to check what evidence a school or gym should provide.