8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

For the 16 years since it started there have only been improvements as to what is available.

There are still people that got the original lifetime membership are still using but it is only for 90 day entries. They were offered a new 20 year deal that allowed one year entries and 5 year visas but some chose not to take it.

Ubon Joe; I thought they were offered 30 years? I had a Korean fellow trying to sell me one and he said it was good for 30 years.

4 minutes ago, toolpush said:

Sorry to disagree with you but it is certainly a Tourist Visa. Privilege Elite personnel will tell you that. That is why with an Elite Visa, you cannot get a 5 year driving license, etc. I call it a Glorified Tourist Visa. It does not have some of the benefits of a Non-Immigrant Visa.

It's not.

 

It's a Privilege Entry visa and has it's entire own regulation and laws, you can find them on here.

 

Tourist visas cannot by law be valid for more than 90 days. 

3 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

It's not.

 

It's a Privilege Entry visa and has it's entire own regulation and laws, you can find them on here.

 

Tourist visas cannot by law be valid for more than 90 days. 

Was that then why the initial offering was a 90 day visa ?? 

5 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

It's not.

 

It's a Privilege Entry visa and has it's entire own regulation and laws, you can find them on here.

 

Tourist visas cannot by law be valid for more than 90 days. 

I am not going to bother arguing with you. I have an Elite Visa and asked Privilege Elite personnel why I couldn't get a 5 year drivers license and they told me because it is a Tourist Visa. Nuff said.

3 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

Was that then why the initial offering was a 90 day visa ?? 

 

Yes exactly, that one was tourist visa basically. The current regulations came out after they changed to the current elite visa sheme and here's a link to them: 

 

2 minutes ago, toolpush said:

I am not going to bother arguing with you. I have an Elite Visa and asked Privilege Elite personnel why I couldn't get a 5 year drivers license and they told me because it is a Tourist Visa. Nuff said.

They are just sales people, they just don't know why things are how they are. They give you the easiest possible answer so you stop asking, right or wrong doesn't matter.

10 hours ago, Thainesss said:

Only makes sense if you have ALOT of money to burn and are not eligible for a marriage based visa or retirement based visa. I can't figure out any way that this visa makes any financial sense unless someone is well off to the point that the price is pocket change to them. And if the price is pocket change then there are sh*tloads better countries to blow your money. 

 

 

Its more like a Non-O for people who want to just pay money for one and don't want to be married or retire. 

 

 

It also makes sense for people who want to stay 5 years without ever having to go to immigration. That’s worth a lot to some people whether retired, married or anything else.

25 minutes ago, toolpush said:

Sorry to disagree with you but it is certainly a Tourist Visa. Privilege Elite personnel will tell you that. That is why with an Elite Visa, you cannot get a 5 year driving license, etc. I call it a Glorified Tourist Visa. It does not have some of the benefits of a Non-Immigrant Visa.

The TE staff are wrong. It is a Privilege  Entry Visa issued under section 17 of the immigration act. It does not fall under Tourist Visa rules. That’s deliberate because tourism is limited — by law — to 90 days after which you must leave. You can stay in the country for 5+ years — without leaving — using the PE visa.
 

It is closer to a Non Imm visa than a Tourist visa; although it is neither.

This is a recent approval for a 10yr 800k Elite Visa, for your information 

Approval_Letter_APP1910-0142.pdf

40 minutes ago, toolpush said:

I have an Elite Visa and asked Privilege Elite personnel why I couldn't get a 5 year drivers license and they told me because it is a Tourist Visa.

 

Man Im sure you already know this but Thais often don't know what they are talking about. I find it hard to believe that you can get a visa that allows continual stay for years at a time and not be eligible for a drivers license.

 

But whatever, you don't want one - take the bus. 

31 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

It also makes sense for people who want to stay 5 years without ever having to go to immigration. That’s worth a lot to some people whether retired, married or anything else.

 

Dunno if I find paying $20k USD for that privilege for 5 years to be worth it. 

Just now, Thainesss said:

Dunno if I find paying $20k USD for that privilege for 5 years to be worth it. 

I think $20k gets you 10 years.

2 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Man Im sure you already know this but Thais often don't know what they are talking about. I find it hard to believe that you can get a visa that allows continual stay for years at a time and not be eligible for a drivers license.

 

But whatever, you don't want one - take the bus. 

If you can afford Elite, you can afford the 200bht no d/l fines.

19 minutes ago, elviajero said:

The TE staff are wrong. It is a Privilege  Entry Visa issued under section 17 of the immigration act. It does not fall under Tourist Visa rules. That’s deliberate because tourism is limited — by law — to 90 days after which you must leave. You can stay in the country for 5+ years — without leaving — using the PE visa.
 

It is closer to a Non Imm visa than a Tourist visa; although it is neither.

From Thai Privilege Elite Website. I rest my case.

50 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

It's not.

 

It's a Privilege Entry visa and has it's entire own regulation and laws, you can find them on here.

 

Tourist visas cannot by law be valid for more than 90 days. 

 

I have one [an S.E. Visa with the life long Thai Elite Membership]... Call it what you will, with the exception of the duration of stay and no need to leave the country it is no different from a Tourist Visa.

 

You can do more with a Non-Immigration Visa (i.e. get a 5 year Driving license etc)... but for all intents and purposes the Thai Elite Visa (SE and PE) are nothing more than 'long term Tourist Visas' regardless of the name / terminology attached. 

 

To avoid confusion it could have just been called a 'Long Term Tourist Visa'...  it would have made more sense.

 

 

4 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Man Im sure you already know this but Thais often don't know what they are talking about. I find it hard to believe that you can get a visa that allows continual stay for years at a time and not be eligible for a drivers license.

 

But whatever, you don't want one - take the bus. 

No, you can get a Thai Drivers License with this visa, just not a 5 year one.

1 minute ago, toolpush said:

No, you can get a Thai Drivers License with this visa, just not a 5 year one.

 

Unless the rule changed you have to get a 1 year first then the 5 year one. 

 

Id disregard what the people at Elite say and just go to the DL place and ask without telling them you have a Thai Elite visa - it'll just confuse them. 

53 minutes ago, toolpush said:

I am not going to bother arguing with you. I have an Elite Visa and asked Privilege Elite personnel why I couldn't get a 5 year drivers license and they told me because it is a Tourist Visa. Nuff said.

 

As is commonly the case, whichever official explained this to you was somewhat lazy and clumsy with the explanation. Detail and accuracy are not an attribute we would generally associate with any staff of any business in Thailand - its the reason we get hung up on so many debates on ThaiVisa.com when often debating what we have been told. 

 

A foreigner cannot get a 5 year Thai Drivers license on a Thai Elite Visa because it is not a Non-Immigrant Visa. 

 

Without a Non-Immigrant Visa a foreigner can only get a 2 year Temporary Thai Driving License. 

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 20196 yr by richard_smith237

22 minutes ago, Elzear said:

This is a recent approval for a 10yr 800k Elite Visa, for your information 

Approval_Letter_APP1910-0142.pdf 637.69 kB · 7 downloads

Next time you have to blur a bit longer, you can still read all ???? Guess you had brightness low on your screen.

7 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Unless the rule changed you have to get a 1 year first then the 5 year one. 

 

Id disregard what the people at Elite say and just go to the DL place and ask without telling them you have a Thai Elite visa - it'll just confuse them. 

 

Two years ago I received a 2 Year Temporary Visa when attempting to extend my expiring 5 year License. 

(I'd initially got my 5 year license while on a work permit & Non-Imm Visa), on the Thai Elite S.E. Visa I was only permitted a 2 year Temp Drivers License. 

 

When I go to the DLT next week I a not sure what I will be issued. By your comment above [Thainess] It seems they may not do 2 year Temp licenses any more and only issue 1 year Temp licenses - a bit of a PITA.

Edited November 21, 20196 yr by richard_smith237

1 minute ago, tabarin said:

Next time you have to blur a bit longer, you can still read all ???? Guess you had brightness low on your screen.

He.ll of a long name.

13 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

By your comment above [Thainess] It seems they may not do 2 year Temp licenses any more and only issue 1 year Temp licenses - a bit of a PITA.

 

No im saying most people had to get a 1 year (or maybe it was 2 years, its been a while) and then they could get the 5 year (Non-O Visa)

 

I dunno but I would just walk in and ask for a 5 year without telling them the specifics of your visa. Give them the docs they ask for and don't give any more information than they ask for. 

Thai Elite visa is ok if you don't mind throwing away 500.000 Bt or whatever and get very little in return for it.

2 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

No im saying most people had to get a 1 year (or maybe it was 2 years, its been a while) and then they could get the 5 year (Non-O Visa)

 

I dunno but I would just walk in and ask for a 5 year without telling them the specifics of your visa. Give them the docs they ask for and don't give any more information than they ask for. 

Agreed, it is definitely worth a try and is what I plan to do next year.

11 hours ago, Tayaout said:

If you don't care about the cost then it's a good idea since it make everything more simple. The 20 years elite card has the best value. 

Value???????????????????????????????

3 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Value???????????????????????????????

If you compare 5 years for 500,000 or 20 years for 1,000,000 then one has better value. 

3 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

8 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Value???????????????????????????????

If you compare 5 years for 500,000 or 20 years for 1,000,000 then one has better value. 

And if you average it out over 20 years, 1 Million baht is approximately 137 baht per day - it suddenly doesn't seem so crazy.

 

The 5 year Visa for 500,000 baht works out at 274 baht per day. 

Edited November 21, 20196 yr by richard_smith237

1 hour ago, toolpush said:

I had a Korean fellow trying to sell me one and he said it was good for 30 years.

Probably the same guy who tried to sell me Banpo Bridge. 

2 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

If you compare 5 years for 500,000 or 20 years for 1,000,000 then one has better value. 

I'm talking about in general, the Elite Visa is only for people with money to burn, there

is no value anywhere.

1 minute ago, possum1931 said:

5 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

If you compare 5 years for 500,000 or 20 years for 1,000,000 then one has better value. 

I'm talking about in general, the Elite Visa is only for people with money to burn, there

is no value anywhere.

 

When averaged out per day... (137 baht per day) - I spend more on Petrol, More on beer, More on food, More on my Son's education etc...