BigManager

On 8/28/2018 at 4:00 PM, tpkhk said:

Big Manager -  I didnt think the list of excluded Nationalities extended beyond a handful of countries.  I was wrong - and came across a website called Citizenship by Investment (.ch) - that has a detailed FAQ.  Attaching the link - was really surprised to see over 25 countries on the excluded/restricted list.  The list maybe outdated, or may just have extra clearance requirements.  

 

Of course, you can contact Thailand elite themselves, but you may also want to contact a firm called Henley & Partners.  (henleyglobal  .com).  They act as agents for Thailand Elite, in multiple countries and hold joint marketing events from time to time - so they should be a source of reliable & free info.  

 

For countries not on the restricted list, the process is as both ubonjoe & HidyHo described.

 

http://citizenshipbyinvestment.ch/index.php/2018/06/11/thailand-elite-is-the-cheapest-residency-program-in-the-world/

I'm grateful for your replies. tpkhk - This is really interesting information you have stumbled upon. The date of the article is recent (June 2018) and it mentions the list of restricted countries twice. As ubonjoe said, the easiest thing is to contact Thailand Elite and ask. But a list like that doesn't come from nowhere and it's interesting that many what you could call 'low risk' African countries have been left off the restricted list. I remember seeing a poster on here saying he was trying to get his Kenyan girlfriend an elite visa and that it works smoothly. Kenya is not on that list. That leaves the main 'high risk' countries from across the globe being ineligible.

Hi All,

I have read many posts here from people describing their experiences with Thailand Elite Visa and the process of obtaining one. Some good, some bad but I have failed to read of anyone's experience with TE who is from a Non Visa Exempt & Non VOA country. And I'm really talking about nationals of African countries here. From what I have read, it is becoming harder and harder now for Africans to secure short and long term visas in Thailand, due to the prescence of overstayers and criminals from this continent giving the rest a bad name. For most, this leaves the Thailand Elite visa as the main option for coming to Thailand for long periods legally.

So if one was to apply for a Thai Elite Easy Access Visa from Africa, are the screening requirements tougher? Or is it really just like, hand us the cash and here's your visa? Because let's be honest here, this visa was intended for visa exempt nationals who had a bit of cash to make their stays in Thailand more convenient, not Africans.

And secondly, let's say you're accepted by Thailand Elite, how would you actually get the visa stamp affixed in your passport? They say on the website that you can apply at Royal Thai Embassies abroad. They do say this is not recommended and I've read stories about how people have asked to apply at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh and Thai Elite said they were unable to. If they are unable to do it in Phnom Penh then I can tell you now, they won't be doing it in Abuja or Dakar or Nairobi.

That leaves getting it on arrival at BKK or applying for a tourist visa from the nearest embassy to your country as the only options. For some, the tourist visa won't work so getting it at BKK on arrival seems the best option if one can actually manage to hop on a plane to Thailand without check-in enquiring about the presence of a Thai visa in their passport (there are ways around this). And then with the fast track immigration, even though Thai Elite will be helping, won't the immigration officer question how a national from a non visa exempt & non VOA country has arrived in Thailand without any Thai visa?

These are just my thoughts.

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences so that more clarity and understanding can be brought to TE Visa for nationals of non visa exempt & non VOA countries.

Thanks