Elita visas are tourist visas but show up as some sort of special status right? I imagine with a high cost visa like that you wouldn't or shouldn't be hassled by immigration (assuming no other issues are present, just a high amount of time inside Thailand).

 

Or are there stories of people sometimes being rejected by immigration even on an Elite visa?

They are not “tourist visas”. They are a Privilege Entry Visa. 
 

Once the visa has been issued you’re not going to get denied entry for any of the reasons serial tourists are. It’s a long stay visa.

 

 

I believe whatever else happens, Immigration is very unlikely ever to abrogate Thailand Elite visas without a genuine justification.

The entries with an Elite Visa is as sure and secure as you will find in Thailand. After that it will be everyones own interpretation of what is sure and secure in Thailand and for how long that counts.

Obviously should you break the law after being granted the TE Visa then you will probably be reassessed, but under normal circumstances nothing should prevent access

Never try, never know Hal! Give it a shot!

Are the Elite Visas A-O, therefore subject to the insurance requirements?

Edited November 8, 20196 yr by GalaxyMan

7 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

Are the Elite Visas A-O, therefore subject to the insurance requirements?

Okay I’ll bite ????

 

An Elite Visa does not require insurance whereas a Non imm OA Visa does .

14 hours ago, elviajero said:

They are not “tourist visas”. They are a Privilege Entry Visa. 
 

Once the visa has been issued you’re not going to get denied entry for any of the reasons serial tourists are. It’s a long stay visa.

 

 

i would not bet on that the office could still deny you for any reason, it's just a visa and not a (free to enter for any reason visa)

15 hours ago, elviajero said:

They are not “tourist visas”. They are a Privilege Entry Visa. 
 

Once the visa has been issued you’re not going to get denied entry for any of the reasons serial tourists are. It’s a long stay visa.

 

 

The Thailand Elite visa is very much a tourist visa (1 year stay per entry, with 90 day reports required) as I've been told more than once by TE themselves. If you choose not to believe that you can I'm sure email the very helpful people at TE to be told the same. However, because you are escorted to fast track immigration by a rep on entry to the country and he/she hands your passport to the IO everything goes smoothly. There is also no requirement to have 20,00 baht on your person on arrival.

Edited November 8, 20196 yr by dode57k

Thai Imm does classify them as 'tourist' visas thus have ZERO ongoing financial and/or insurance requirements as 'long-stay' visas.

 

 

7 minutes ago, galt67 said:

Thai Imm does classify them as 'tourist' visas thus have ZERO ongoing financial and/or insurance requirements as 'long-stay' visas.

 

 

how you know that for sure?!...

29 minutes ago, dode57k said:

The Thailand Elite visa is very much a tourist visa (1 year stay per entry, with 90 day reports required) as I've been told more than once by TE themselves. If you choose not to believe that you can I'm sure email the very helpful people at TE to be told the same. However, because you are escorted to fast track immigration by a rep on entry to the country and he/she hands your passport to the IO everything goes smoothly. There is also no requirement to have 20,00 baht on your person on arrival.

I've heard in the bar that soon you will need to wear a suit and tie to be allowed in on the Elite Visa.

28 minutes ago, galt67 said:

Thai Imm does classify them as 'tourist' visas thus have ZERO ongoing financial and/or insurance requirements as 'long-stay' visas.

 

 

Also why driving licenses are restricted to the shorter 'provisional' type licenses on a TE class visa 

i am 100% sure one day some immigration officer who think he is 'rambo' will deny someone who use a such visa...

44 minutes ago, dode57k said:

The Thailand Elite visa is very much a tourist visa (1 year stay per entry, with 90 day reports required) as I've been told more than once by TE themselves. If you choose not to believe that you can I'm sure email the very helpful people at TE to be told the same.

According to the immigration act the maximum length of the permission to stay with a tourist visa is 90 days. So TE gave you wrong information (more than once).

 

I explained already what it is in this topic:

Spoiler: It doesn't fall in any of the previously existing visa categories, it's a special visa, officially called "TPC visa"

15 minutes ago, kralledr said:

i am 100% sure one day some immigration officer who think he is 'rambo' will deny someone who use a such visa...

And I'm sure there is something I could post in reply but I don't want a posting holiday.

2 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

Are the Elite Visas A-O, therefore subject to the insurance requirements?

No.

1 hour ago, dode57k said:

The Thailand Elite visa is very much a tourist visa (1 year stay per entry, with 90 day reports required) as I've been told more than once by TE themselves. If you choose not to believe that you can I'm sure email the very helpful people at TE to be told the same.

it is not a Tourist Visa regardless of what the TE staff might stay. It’s a Privilege Entry Visa, issued under different rules.
 

1 hour ago, dode57k said:

However, because you are escorted to fast track immigration by a rep on entry to the country and he/she hands your passport to the IO everything goes smoothly. There is also no requirement to have 20,00 baht on your person on arrival.

All visa holders are required to show 20K. PE visa holders are not exempt. That said immigration are almost guaranteed not to ask a PE or Non-Imm Visa holder you show cash on entry.

 

1 hour ago, galt67 said:

Thai Imm does classify them as 'tourist' visas thus have ZERO ongoing financial and/or insurance requirements as 'long-stay' visas.

Thai Imm doesn’t classify them as TR’s.

I would say an Elite Visa is about as bulletproof as you can get in Thailand.

 

I do not think Immigration would mess around with the holders of these types of visas.

 

It is a decent source of income for whoever is on the receiving end and you can bet they are a lot higher up the food chain than an Immigration desk sergeant.

 

Adverse publicity relating to a refusal on this type of visa I believe, WOULD make waves.

I sometimes get the impression that the tightening of visa regs is a subtle hint that foreigners really ought to get an Elite visa.

15 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

Are the Elite Visas A-O, therefore subject to the insurance requirements?

No. 

500,000 baht @ 30 baht to 1 USD is about 16,666 USD.  Given the current insurance mandate, no income letter method from USA embassy, frankly for the ease of using the Elite visa, it may be worth paying $16,666 up front for the next 5 years, or  3,333 USD a year and just consider it to be the "price" of admission for a relatively easy process to stay in the country and without hassles.   If one can get that 6th year out of the visa by leaving before the 5 years is up and getting a re-entry permit and re-entering, it just got more attractive.  I think I will just start with a SETV for 60 days, extend that another 30 days, and then see how semi or full retirement really works

 

  Of course the big question is will the Elite visa stay immune from the insurance requirements, or any other odd ball changes?

29 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

Of course the big question is will the Elite visa stay immune from the insurance requirements, or any other odd ball changes?

Even if you are under the impression that the current government has a good grip on power, I would not place money on any regulation or enforcement decisions remaining the same in Thailand over a five-year period.

 

1 hour ago, HannahD said:

I sometimes get the impression that the tightening of visa regs is a subtle hint that foreigners really ought to get an Elite visa.

Yes, that is the general idea, and they are not particularly coy about it.

The crazy thing is that they could probably make a hundred times more money if they sold a month-by-month version for 10,000 baht at everyone's local immigration office, and selling as many months in advance as you want. You could also stop and resume paying it whenever you want.

Everyone would moan about it, would swear they were never going to pay that but, then, when their last tourist visa extension runs out, and they consider all the hassle, expense, and disruption of spending a month in Vietnam or wherever, they will end up paying the 10K and continuing to pay it indefinitely.

Pretty much everyone I know here under the age of 50 would end up shoveling all that money towards the Thai government. In particular, the digital nomads would come to terms with it quite quickly - roughly $10 per day to stay in a country which is well-suited to their needs is a reasonably good pitch. The barrier for most people is the idea of paying 5 years in advance for anything. If the Elite visa is how they want to tax us, they could be a lot smarter about how they do it.

 

 

Edited November 9, 20196 yr by donnacha

The Thailand Elite visa is a multiple entry Tourist Visa with the silly tag "Privileged Entry" to make it sound posh. 

 

I have one. Works great but don't expect any good service from Thai immigration.

44 minutes ago, Mas4568 said:

The Thailand Elite visa is a multiple entry Tourist Visa with the silly tag "Privileged Entry" to make it sound posh. 

 

I have one. Works great but don't expect any good service from Thai immigration.

It is not a "Tourist Visa". It is a "Privilege Entry visa.

 

The only tourist visas available are issued by Embassies and Consulates. The PE visa is issued under different regulation.

We can debate this as a matter of law or a matter of experience.

 

If they treat you well on the Elite, that's good enough for me.

 

But @Mas4568 has one and says it may not be the case they treat you any better.

 

If that means slow service I can still live with it. I just don't want a lot of questions or to be hassled upon entry.

On 11/8/2019 at 6:30 PM, LivinLOS said:

Also why driving licenses are restricted to the shorter 'provisional' type licenses on a TE class visa 

Wasn't always the way, I have a current 5 year license issued because I have a 5 year visa. It's expiring soon, no idea what kind of license I will get next time, maybe a 2 year one.

Edited November 12, 20196 yr by ukrules

On 11/9/2019 at 10:06 AM, donnacha said:

Even if you are under the impression that the current government has a good grip on power, I would not place money on any regulation or enforcement decisions remaining the same in Thailand over a five-year period.

They've been saying that since it was introduced more than 10 years ago.

An ELite visa does not munene  one from the law. if you break any of the laws pertaining Immigration and affect your obligation under  an Elite visa , you will receive the appropriate  punishment as prescribed by the law.