ED VISA Cost vs ELITE Visa 5 years

[Enzo555]

Hi guys, 

 

 I would like to have your experience about how much does fully cost you an ED Visa for a year of study (initial trip to get the visa,

school fee, extension every 90 days, authorization to get out from country + extras). 

 I'm seriously wondering if the price for a ED visa of 1 year will be soon almost comparable to the cost of an Elite Visa for 1 year (5 years option which is the most expensive). 

 

 In my experience:

-initial trip to Laos for visa: about 10 000 baths

-school fee: 17000 bahts (the cheapest option)

-immigration extension 90 days with agency 4 times/year: 20 000 baths

-Re-entry permit 3 times per year (at least): 6000 baths (without taking into consideration the permanent risk of getting denied in the airport and all the consequences: buying plane tickets extra plane tickets to go less risky airports; going another country; trying to come back again; and all the stress generated by this which can probably be valued too).

 

 

 For all these costs we are already at 53k baths/year. I would have probably forgotten some other fees. In comparison with an Elite Visa which costs 100k/year with the less engaging option (5 years) and where it's fully hassle free (no need to pay every 90 days; can go out and in the country without paying nothing unlimited times, getting many advantages as free taxi 24 times per year, no more stress etc.). 

 

 I'm seriously wondering if the Elite option is even financially speaking the best option if someone can pay this fee for 5 years. 

 

 What is your experience about how much cost you the ED visa for 1 year? 

 

 Regards, 

 

 

 

[Maestro]

Unless you study for a degree at a government university, immigration will probably not give you repeated extensions of stay for the reason of education.

[Fairynuff]

An Elite visa is always going be the much more expensive option. An ED visa is really as others have said, not entirely legitimate because you’re not really a student. With the Elite option you have to add the value it holds for you of relative ease and peace of mind. You can’t put a monetary value on that. Between those two options if it was me and I could afford it, I’d choose the Elite

[angloirishaussie]

yes id go Elite

[playyer]

The thai elite visa sticker is valid for 5 years, but Ive heard you get 6 years stay, just enter the country again just before the visa sticker expires, and you get 1 more year. That takes it to 83k per year. Plus you save 2-3 k in taxi savings over 5 years if you use their limo service when you come into the country, one per year. And you skip the queue at suvarnabhum as they escort you when you exit the country and enter the country. I spent more than 53k a year on my student visa, but I dont stay in guesthouses etc when i travel. I spent quite a bit of money going to laos, flying, taxi to the city, hotels, tuk tuk to the embassy, taxi back to the border etc. I calculated on it and estimated i spent around 60k on my visa at the time. If you have the money and will stay for sure I think elite is a pretty sweet choice. You dont have to pay 50-60k a year and worry every time you renew at the embassy, every time you enter the country to active the visa, or worry every time you fly in........

[lamyai3]

4 minutes ago, playyer said:

The thai elite visa sticker is valid for 5 years, but Ive heard you get 6 years stay, just enter the country again just before the visa sticker expires, and you get 1 more year.

Elite has been trying to knock the unofficial 6th year on the head. Good chance it won't be possible in five years for anyone buying into the scheme now. 

[Vacuum]

20 hours ago, Enzo555 said:

In comparison with an Elite Visa which costs 100k/year with the less engaging option (5 years) and where it's fully hassle free (no need to pay every 90 days; can go out and in the country without paying nothing unlimited times, getting many advantages as free taxi 24 times per year, no more stress etc.). 

Yes, but you'll not learn Thai, if this is your intention.

[theonetrueaussie]

I have always found the elite visa funny, like no you come too many times we deny you now or you pay ($20,000 AUD) and then magically it's ok now you can come for next 5 years no problem!!

If the elite visa was 100k thb for 1 year, people might consider it but seeing you have to pay 5-20 years upfront it is not a good option for many and this is why many will still go the ed visa route. The only person the elite visa is for is someone who has family here and HAS to stay here....everyone else is finishing up their current visas and then moving to nearby countries where you get more bang for your buck....

Imagine buying the elite visa now and then in 2-3 years 1 USD is only worth 15thb or 1 AUD is worth 10thb.....it's not looking good and if you just bought a 5-20 year visa...This is the main reason why a 1 year visa will always be the much much safer and better option!

[FalangJaiDee]

i stayed in Thailand for 6 months (Oct 18' - May 19')

Tourist visa + Extension > 30 days in the Phillipines > Tourist visa + Extension. I actually DO want to learn thai on an education visa (I can speak at a low intermediate level). Would they reject me if I tried to fly into Swampy in 2020 on an ED visa? Also, do you have to leave the country every 90 days to renew your ED visa, or can it be done from within the country?

[Enzo555]

11 minutes ago, FalangJaiDee said:

i stayed in Thailand for 6 months (Oct 18' - May 19')

Tourist visa + Extension > 30 days in the Phillipines > Tourist visa + Extension. I actually DO want to learn thai on an education visa (I can speak at a low intermediate level). Would they reject me if I tried to fly into Swampy in 2020 on an ED visa? Also, do you have to leave the country every 90 days to renew your ED visa, or can it be done from within the country?

Hi, 

 

 Nothing is sure at this time, but as you never had ED visa before, it seems that you can do it for the first year. You need to confirm it with the school you have chosen which probably has recent records about approvals and denials in the different consulates around the country. I do not suggest you to come back in BKK airports and prefer land borders. At the time I was on tourists visas; I had an interview once with an immigration officer in BKK airport who I told I will go on ed visa and he seems to be not that conviced even if I'm real learner and can speak thai. Because as many people said before; ED visa was used for several years by people who want to stay long term in the country without the right visa.

 

 But I guess, that you can easily do it crossing a land border. 1 year ago it was very easy for me in Laos.

 

 For the 90 days, you don't need to leave the country; you can do it in the local immigration office. 

 

 Regards, 

Edited December 2, 2019 by Enzo555

[ThomasThBKK]

38 minutes ago, theonetrueaussie said:

I have always found the elite visa funny, like no you come too many times we deny you now or you pay ($20,000 AUD) and then magically it's ok now you can come for next 5 years no problem!!

If the elite visa was 100k thb for 1 year, people might consider it but seeing you have to pay 5-20 years upfront it is not a good option for many and this is why many will still go the ed visa route. The only person the elite visa is for is someone who has family here and HAS to stay here....everyone else is finishing up their current visas and then moving to nearby countries where you get more bang for your buck....

Imagine buying the elite visa now and then in 2-3 years 1 USD is only worth 15thb or 1 AUD is worth 10thb.....it's not looking good and if you just bought a 5-20 year visa...This is the main reason why a 1 year visa will always be the much much safer and better option!

 

 

Like every other investment type of visa everywhere else in the world, no different to retirement visa where you also have to park money...No country wants poor immigrants to come, that's why nearly all of them including the US have investment visas.

 

People are buying it anyway, paying upfront 5-20 years, get over it, for the target demographic it's not enough money to care about.

 

Quote

The only person the elite visa is for is someone who has family here and HAS to stay here....everyone else is finishing up their current visas and then moving to nearby countries where you get more bang for your buck....

 

Rubbish, they can get Child visa or Marriage visa easily, no need for an elite visa.

 

Quote

.everyone else is finishing up their current visas and then moving to nearby countries where you get more bang for your buck....

sure, nearby countries have either more expensive visas or no visas at all.

 

Quote

Imagine buying the elite visa now and then in 2-3 years 1 USD is only worth 15thb or 1 AUD is worth 10thb.....it's not looking good and if you just bought a 5-20 year visa...This is the main reason why a 1 year visa will always be the much much safer and better option!

 

Oh wow, how is that different to anything else you buy? Same happens if you buy a condo, car or even food with USD... absolute non-issue. How is that different when you have to park money in the bank for marriage or retirement visa? Right, it isn't. 

 

You sound extremely broke, Thailand isn't targetting this group anymore. 

 

 

How do you even stay here without a work permit if you don't have decent amount of savings or income??? What's your plan if there's an emergency and you don't have money... jeez.

Edited December 2, 2019 by ThomasThBKK

[Guest]

The Thailand Elite 5 Year Visa costs 500,000 THB - UPFRONT PAYMENT - and is not refundable / non transferable. 

I would think if you had 500,000 to blow in one purchase, you would not be sweating the cost to use the Education option?

[ubonjoe]

19 minutes ago, FalangJaiDee said:

i stayed in Thailand for 6 months (Oct 18' - May 19')

Tourist visa + Extension > 30 days in the Phillipines > Tourist visa + Extension. I actually DO want to learn thai on an education visa (I can speak at a low intermediate level). Would they reject me if I tried to fly into Swampy in 2020 on an ED visa? Also, do you have to leave the country every 90 days to renew your ED visa, or can it be done from within the country?

No problem to enter the country using a non-ed visa.

You would then extend the 90 day entry at immigration for 90 days and then again every 90 days after that up to when you have reached a total stay of one year.

 

[Enzo555]

1 minute ago, bangkokequity said:

The Thailand Elite 5 Year Visa costs 500,000 THB - UPFRONT PAYMENT - and is not refundable / non transferable. 

I would think if you had 500,000 to blow in one purchase, you would not be sweating the cost to use the Education option?

 I mean for a person who knows the country for many years ago already and is pretty sure to spend a lot of time in the coming years (and can afford the price in 1 time), it's not 500k to blow because as we told before currently the ED Visa costs about between 50k-60k to most of the people. This is the estimation when everything goes smooth; imagine 1 denial at a bkk airport and increase the price by 15k or more if you need to fly again and back again. 

 

 We are not talking about people who plan to spend 3/4 months per year but those who live most of the year in Thailand

[Fairynuff]

1 hour ago, theonetrueaussie said:

I have always found the elite visa funny, like no you come too many times we deny you now or you pay ($20,000 AUD) and then magically it's ok now you can come for next 5 years no problem!!

If the elite visa was 100k thb for 1 year, people might consider it but seeing you have to pay 5-20 years upfront it is not a good option for many and this is why many will still go the ed visa route. The only person the elite visa is for is someone who has family here and HAS to stay here....everyone else is finishing up their current visas and then moving to nearby countries where you get more bang for your buck....

Imagine buying the elite visa now and then in 2-3 years 1 USD is only worth 15thb or 1 AUD is worth 10thb.....it's not looking good and if you just bought a 5-20 year visa...This is the main reason why a 1 year visa will always be the much much safer and better option!

Your wrong assumptions are too numerous to list????

Edited December 2, 2019 by Fairynuff
Typo

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, Enzo555 said:

 I mean for a person who knows the country for many years ago already and is pretty sure to spend a lot of time in the coming years (and can afford the price in 1 time), it's not 500k to blow because as we told before currently the ED Visa costs about between 50k-60k to most of the people. This is the estimation when everything goes smooth; imagine 1 denial at a bkk airport and increase the price by 15k or more if you need to fly again and back again. 

 

 We are not talking about people who plan to spend 3/4 months per year but those who live most of the year in Thailand

Let me refer you to a recent posting by UbonJoe ... who is widely recognized as THE expert on Visas. 

 

i stayed in Thailand for 6 months (Oct 18' - May 19')

Tourist visa + Extension > 30 days in the Phillipines > Tourist visa + Extension. I actually DO want to learn thai on an education visa (I can speak at a low intermediate level). Would they reject me if I tried to fly into Swampy in 2020 on an ED visa? Also, do you have to leave the country every 90 days to renew your ED visa, or can it be done from within the country?

No problem to enter the country using a non-ed visa.

You would then extend the 90 day entry at immigration for 90 days and then again every 90 days after that up to when you have reached a total stay of one year.

[theonetrueaussie]

58 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

You sound extremely broke, Thailand isn't targetting this group anymore. 

Hahaha no I am actually fairly wealthy BUT why would I want to spend $5k a year on a visa especially when quality of life with the THB dropping has also gone down. Yes other countries have investment visas but they are just that YOU INVEST and the money is still yours, You are not spending 20k in those countries just to get a visa which has $0 monetary value!! 

The op asked why people are choosing ed visa's over elite visa's and I clearly told him. Obviously you bought an elite visa but you are in the very small minority as the majority are clearly choosing nearby countries instead. Yes some people are poor but the majority are quite wealthy and see no point in pointlessly wasting $5k a year on a visa when you clearly get much more bang for your buck overseas for the high cost of overseas visas according to you of.....wait for it (Free to $100usd a year) depending on the country!!

 

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Hahaha no I am actually fairly wealthy BUT why would I want to spend $5k a year on a visa especially when quality of life with the THB dropping has also gone down. Yes other countries have investment visas but they are just that YOU INVEST and the money is still yours, You are not spending 20k in those countries just to get a visa which has $0 monetary value!! 

The op asked why people are choosing ed visa's over elite visa's and I clearly told him. Obviously you bought an elite visa but you are in the very small minority as the majority are clearly choosing nearby countries instead. Yes some people are poor but the majority are quite wealthy and see no point in pointlessly wasting $5k a year on a visa when you clearly get much more bang for your buck overseas for the high cost of overseas visas according to you of.....wait for it (Free to $100usd a year) depending on the country!!

 

 

The reason others are purchasing the Thai Elite visa is due to lack of viable options to remain in Thailand. 

 

You [theonetrueaussie] don't see value wanting to remain in Thailand when you can get 'more bang for your buck' - that makes sense if you have not built up relationships, connections and a life in Thailand. 

 

For others it's not so easy or simple to just 'up sticks' and go elsewhere with the freedom you suggest. 

 

Question for you [theonetrueaussie] you mentioned that other countries have investment visas (which countries, similar to Thailand). 

It is often the case that 'the similar visa options for other countries' are often used for reasons to move away from Thailand to those countries, but the easy of obtaining such visas are rarely mentioned. Thailand also offers an investment Visa (smart Visa category I), but it seems as though securing a Smart Investment visa would involves jumping through a number of hoops.

 

From your research, how convenient is it to secure an 'Investment visas' in 'other countries' compared to Thailand?

 

https://www.boi.go.th/index.php?page=detail_smart_visa

 

 

 

 

 

[ThomasThBKK]

  

19 minutes ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Hahaha no I am actually fairly wealthy BUT why would I want to spend $5k a year on a visa especially when quality of life with the THB dropping has also gone down. Yes other countries have investment visas but they are just that YOU INVEST and the money is still yours, You are not spending 20k in those countries just to get a visa which has $0 monetary value!! 

The op asked why people are choosing ed visa's over elite visa's and I clearly told him. Obviously you bought an elite visa but you are in the very small minority as the majority are clearly choosing nearby countries instead. Yes some people are poor but the majority are quite wealthy and see no point in pointlessly wasting $5k a year on a visa when you clearly get much more bang for your buck overseas for the high cost of overseas visas according to you of.....wait for it (Free to $100usd a year) depending on the country!!

 

 

You don't just get a visa.

You get a cheaper life with decent housing options, guaranteed entry, aot limousine service 24x/year worth around 1k THB each, and some other perks.

The visa allows you to be easily a thai tax resident, like every other long term visa too. Territorial tax systems have huge saving opportunities.

Other countries here that are cheaper have taxation on worldwide income, but how would you know, you don't seem to have income.

other countries with this kind of tax system like Singapore or UAE/Dubai are more expensive. My office renting costs that i need for a Dubai residency are at least 12k usd per year alone.

 

 

Quote

when quality of life with the THB dropping has also gone down

Mine hasn't gone down, i have thb income from properties and dividends. Your problem. 

 

You aren't fairly wealthy if the 2.5k/50k THB/year for a 20 year visa is too much for you to get a pseudo-residence in  a country that has pretty much all western ammenities.

You can instead hang out in Laos or Cambodia or equivalent crapholes and pay taxes on your worldwide income - have fun. You can of course also go to Malysia and co and put the 80k usd in a bank account for a my second home visa if you think it's a better deal.

 

 

Quote

The op asked why people are choosing ed visa's over elite visa's and I clearly told him. Obviously you bought an elite visa but you are in the very small minority as the majority are clearly choosing nearby countries instead.

 

Because they are too broke, but an ED Visa, if not from a proper university where you really want to study is not a longterm option for anyone. Those days are over. 

 

Quote

Yes some people are poor but the majority are quite wealthy and see no point in pointlessly wasting $5k a year on a visa when you clearly get much more bang for your buck overseas for the high cost of overseas visas according to you of.....wait for it (Free to $100usd a year) depending on the country!!

 

Please name us all these countries where thai expats are swarming to in droves. I am waiting.

Edited December 2, 2019 by ThomasThBKK

[Enzo555]

35 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

  

 

You don't just get a visa.

You get a cheaper life with decent housing options, guaranteed entry, aot limousine service 24x/year worth around 1k THB each, and some other perks.

The visa allows you to be easily a thai tax resident, like every other long term visa too. Territorial tax systems have huge saving opportunities.

Other countries here that are cheaper have taxation on worldwide income, but how would you know, you don't seem to have income.

other countries with this kind of tax system like Singapore or UAE/Dubai are more expensive. My office renting costs that i need for a Dubai residency are at least 12k usd per year alone.

 I'm agree with you. If you take into consideration these different factors, you can understand easily that the option is really not costly (low housing price for high quality standard, decent quality of life at reasonable price, tax residency etc.); I'm from a European country. I know it's not comparable at all with Thailand but when you try to think about what would be the annual cost of such a lifestyle in a western country (even with the strong bath and prices increase we got); that can make sense. 

 

 And I think the option is convenient for people who already start building a life in this country regarding social relationships etc.; and are not willing to move another country just to save some dollars.

Edited December 2, 2019 by Enzo555