Thailand and Indonesia both market themselves as digital nomad bases. Thailand's answer is the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV). Indonesia's is the Remote Worker Visa, index E33G, often called the digital nomad visa.
They are not clones. DTV is a five-year multiple-entry visit visa with a savings test. E33G is a one-year limited stay permit with an income test and a foreign employment contract. Pick the country first, then the visa that matches how you actually earn money.
This guide compares both for remote workers choosing a base in 2026. If you already know Bali is home, start with the E33G service page and the complete Bali visa guide. If you are still using a tourist visa to work from a cafe, read can you work remotely on a tourist visa in Bali? first.
The short answer
Choose DTV if you want a cheaper, longer-validity visa, you can show about 500,000 THB in funds, and you are happy with 180-day stays (extendable once per entry) rather than a full Indonesian residence card.
Choose E33G if Bali is the base, you can evidence about USD 60,000 a year from overseas work, and you have (or can get) an employment contract with a company established outside Indonesia.
Choose neither if you want to sell to local customers, hire local staff, or take a job in-country. That is a work permit / company path: Working KITAS or PT PMA in Indonesia, and a Thai work permit in Thailand.
What Indonesia's E33G actually is
On the official E33G page, Immigration calls it the Second Home Remote Worker Visa (Visa Rumah Kedua Pekerja Jarak Jauh). You stay in Indonesia to carry out assignments for a company outside Indonesia. You may also do tourism and visit friends or family.
It is a limited stay visa (ITAS), not a tourist stamp. While the re-entry permit is valid, you can leave and return. Immigration currently says:
- Stay: 1 year
- Stay can be extended online via evisa.imigrasi.go.id
- The stay can be converted to another stay permit when the rules allow (not automatic)
- No Indonesian sponsor is required
- You must enter within 90 days of visa issuance or apply again
- Processing is described as about five working days after payment
You are not allowed to overstay, do work that does not match the permit, or sell goods or services except as required for that overseas job. You cannot take wages from an Indonesian person or company. Overstay is billed per day: see 2026 overstay fines and the overstay calculator.
What Thailand's DTV actually is
The Destination Thailand Visa is Thailand's long-stay option for workcation (digital nomads, remote workers, foreign talent, freelancers), plus a separate track for Thai soft-power activities such as Muay Thai, cooking courses, sport training, and medical treatment. A legal spouse and unmarried children under 20 can apply as dependents.
Thai MFA materials (including the official DTV infographic) currently describe:
- 5 years, multiple entry
- 180 days per entry
- One in-country extension of up to 180 days per entry
- After 180 + 180, you leave and re-enter on the same DTV while it is still valid
- Visa fee: 10,000 THB
- Apply from outside Thailand at thaievisa.go.th
- Financial evidence of no less than 500,000 THB (bank statements, payslips, or a sponsorship letter, depending on the post)
- Workcation evidence: employment contract or certificate, or a professional portfolio that shows nomad / remote / freelancer status
DTV is not a Thai work permit. You cannot work for Thai companies or invoice Thai clients on it.
Side by side
Stay model
- E33G: about 1 year of limited stay in Indonesia, with re-entry while that permit is valid, and an online extension path
- DTV: 5-year visa sticker/e-visa, but each visit is 180 days (plus one 180-day extension). It is a long ticket, not one unbroken five-year residence
Money test
- E33G: proof of salary or income of at least USD 60,000 per year, plus living-fund statements of about USD 2,000 over the last 3 months
- DTV: savings / funds of at least 500,000 THB (roughly USD 14,000 to 16,000). Thailand has not published a minimum annual income figure
Job evidence
- E33G: employment contract with a company established outside Indonesia. Pure client-only freelancing is the weak spot. Get a document review before you apply
- DTV: contract or portfolio. Freelancers are written into the official purpose list
Dependents
- DTV: spouse and children under 20 are a published category
- E33G: you apply for yourself. Family members usually need their own visit or family stay permit. See marriage and family visas if a spouse is part of the Bali plan
Government fee vs agent package
- DTV: 10,000 THB at application (posts may quote a local-currency equivalent)
- E33G PNBP on the official page totals IDR 7,000,000 for the 1-year limited stay bundle (visa, verification, ITAS, re-entry)
- Bali Visa Hub E33G packages currently list IDR 15,000,000 if you apply from abroad and IDR 21,000,000 for the in-Indonesia service (about 14 working days). Confirm the live quote
E33G is more expensive up front. DTV is cheaper to obtain and lasts longer on paper. The expensive part of E33G is usually meeting the USD 60,000 evidence, not the government tariff.
Who fits which profile?
Salaried remote employee, USD 60k+. Either can work. If the base is Bali, E33G is the legal remote-work index. If the base is Chiang Mai, Bangkok, or the islands, DTV is the purpose-built visit visa.
Freelancer with overseas clients and lumpy income. DTV is usually easier because a portfolio is an accepted workcation document and there is no USD 60k salary line. E33G still asks for a foreign company contract. Many genuine freelancers fail that wording.
Founder paid by an overseas company they control. Possible on both if the paperwork is real. If you later want an Indonesian entity, that is PT PMA, not E33G. Scouting a Bali company first is D12, not a nomad visa.
High savings, modest documented salary. DTV can fit. E33G can fail even if you are wealthy, because Immigration wants USD 60,000 income, not only a large balance.
High salary, thin cash buffer. E33G can fit if the contract and income proof are strong (you still need the USD 2,000 living-fund statements). DTV can fail if you cannot show 500,000 THB.
Holiday plus light email. Neither. Use a tourist path: B1/B2 vs E33G vs C1 for Bali, or a Thai tourist visa / visa exemption for a short Thailand trip.
Lifestyle is not the visa
Wifi, coworking, and community exist in both countries. The visa question is narrower:
- Where will you physically live most of the year?
- Can you document income the way that country asks?
- Are you willing to exit and re-enter (DTV's 180 + 180 pattern) or do you want a one-year ITAS in Indonesia?
A DTV does nothing at Ngurah Rai. An E33G does nothing at Suvarnabhumi. You cannot "use the Thai nomad visa in Bali."
Bali also collects a separate Love Bali tourist levy from most foreign visitors. That is not a substitute for a visa, and Thailand does not use the same levy.
Tax residency (often discussed around 180 days in Thailand and 183 days in Indonesia) is a tax question, not a visa stamp. Get advice in the country where you will spend the days. This article is not tax advice.
Can you split the year?
Yes, as two separate permits. Some people do six months in Bali on E33G (or a tourist visa if they are not working) and a DTV block in Thailand. Each stay must match that country's rules. Do not assume you can convert one into the other, or switch Indonesian indexes without checking whether you can change visa types in Indonesia.
If E33G timing slips, ask about a bridging visa before you overstay.
Common mistakes
- Treating DTV's 5 years as five years without leaving
- Treating E33G as a cheap tourist upgrade when you do not meet USD 60,000
- Using either visa to take local clients
- Applying for E33G with invoices only and no overseas company contract
- Applying for DTV from inside Thailand
- Ignoring passport validity (Indonesia: at least 6 months)
- Assuming a Bali tourist visa is "close enough" to E33G. It is not. See remote work on a tourist visa
- Content work for Indonesian brands without the right permit. Read Bali's stricter rules for content creation
Frequently asked questions
Is E33G Indonesia's version of the DTV?
Same problem (legal remote work while living in the region), different legal tool. DTV is a long multiple-entry visit visa. E33G is a limited stay remote-worker permit with a high income bar.
Can freelancers get E33G?
Official wording emphasises an employment contract with a company established outside Indonesia and USD 60,000 income evidence. If you only have client contracts, get a file review. Do not assume every freelance setup qualifies.
Is DTV easier to get?
Often, yes, if you have the 500,000 THB funds and a coherent workcation or soft-power story. Embassy and e-Visa posts still reject thin bank files and vague portfolios. Easier is not the same as guaranteed.
Does E33G need a local sponsor?
Immigration currently says no. You still need a complete eVisa file. Bali Visa Hub can prepare and lodge it.
Can I apply for E33G from inside Indonesia?
Bali Visa Hub lists an in-Indonesia service package. Whether your current status allows an in-country filing is case-specific. Many applicants still apply from abroad. Confirm before you let a tourist stay run out.
Which is better for families?
DTV publishes a dependent track for spouse and children under 20. Indonesia handles family as separate permits. If Bali is non-negotiable, plan the family visas explicitly rather than expecting E33G to cover everyone.
If you are choosing Bali
Be honest about the USD 60,000 line and the overseas contract. If you meet both, E33G is the index Immigration wrote for remote workers.
Contact Bali Visa Hub with your nationality, where your employer or clients sit, and roughly what you earn. We handle E33G eligibility checks and filing. We do not issue Thai DTV visas. For Thailand, use thaievisa.go.th or a Thai-licensed adviser.
This article is general information, not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Thai and Indonesian rules, fees, and document lists change. Confirm E33G on imigrasi.go.id and DTV through Thai MFA / Thai e-Visa before you apply.
